R Plumber - Build and deploy production APIs in R

Develop and host your own APIs with R using the powerful Plumber package! This comprehensive course takes you from zero API knowledge to building and deploying production-ready APIs. We'll guide you through the fundamentals of networking and the Plumber package, starting with a blank project and progressing to a real-world scenario. Expect plenty of hands-on coding, testing, quizzes, and assignments to solidify your understanding.

You'll learn to optimize and secure your APIs and then integrate them with a pre-built frontend framework to see their power in action. Finally, deploy your API live on the internet using both Digital Ocean and AWS cloud services, and configure a custom domain name with Cloudflare.

Each practical exercise builds your Plumber skills, progressing from simple endpoints to handling advanced API requests and features. You'll design endpoints for tasks like searching and booking flights, displaying passenger numbers, and creating visualizations – all tailored for internal airline teams. We don't just teach you how to code; we explain the why and how behind each implementation, covering both Plumber and REST API concepts. Active Q&A support ensures you can get help when you need it.

What you'll gain from this course:

• REST APIs and hosting providers knowledge
• Application of API development best practices and conventions
• Transitioning from R Shiny while retaining existing R code and functionality
• Frontend/backend separation with seamless integration
• Building a backend for websites (personal or business)
• Designing a company-internal dashboarding platform (e.g., a Customer Data Platform - CDP)
• Replacing legacy APIs with modern, secure endpoints
• Creating proof-of-concept APIs for new models and visualizations
• Connecting existing R functionality to the internet (e.g., integrating Slack commands)

Course Topics:

• REST APIs Basics: Understand the core principles of RESTful API design.
• Sending API Requests: Utilize the command-line library CURL for interacting with APIs.
• Plumber Project Setup: Learn how to initialize and structure your Plumber projects.
• Plumber Endpoints: Create both static and dynamic routes for your API.
• Local API Testing: Run and test your API locally for development.
• Swagger API Documentation: Generate interactive documentation for your API.
• Parameter Handling: Manage various parameter data types, including query, path, and body parameters.
• Serialization: Handle data serialization in formats like HTML, images, interactive plots, and CSV.
• REST API Method Types: Master different HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.).
• Response Status Codes: Understand and implement appropriate HTTP status codes.
• API Security: Implement robust API security measures.
• Pre-processing: Utilize logging and gatekeeping filters for data handling.
• Authentication: Secure your API with API key authentication.
• Asynchronous Operations: Implement function asynchrony for improved performance.
• Frontend Integration: Seamlessly integrate your API with frontend files.
• Deployment: Deploy your API to Digital Ocean and AWS.
• Custom Domain Configuration: Configure your custom domain name using Cloudflare.