:What is OpenAPI Explorer?

OpenAPI Explorer

OpenAPI Explorer is also called OpenAPI Portal. OpenAPI Explorer integrates the following features for API operations: intelligent search, documentation, online debugging, SDK obtaining, sample code, call error diagnostics, and call statistics. In OpenAPI Explorer, you can call API operations of Alibaba Cloud services and view API requests and responses. In addition, OpenAPI Explorer automatically generates the corresponding SDK sample code to facilitate the use of API operations.

Feature description

OpenAPI Explorer URL: https://next.api.alibabacloud.com

Before you use OpenAPI Explorer, you must log on to OpenAPI Explorer. The system automatically obtains the AccessKey pair based on the account that you use to log on to OpenAPI Explorer, and then calls API operations. You do not need to specify your AccessKey pair on the debugging page. This improves the convenience of debugging service in OpenAPI Explorer.

OpenAPI Explorer provides the following features:

• Query an API operation

  OpenAPI Explorer includes the API operations of various Alibaba Cloud services. You can quickly query an API operation in OpenAPI Explorer.

• Call an API operation

  You can call an API operation by configuring the request parameters on the call page without coding.

• View the request

  OpenAPI Explorer automatically generates the request URL according to the specified request parameters and displays the URL on the web page in a visualized manner.

• View the response

  OpenAPI Explorer returns structured data as the response of a request.

• Generate SDK sample code

  OpenAPI Explorer automatically generates the SDK sample code in multiple program languages based on the specified request parameters.

• Use CLI to call an API operation

  You can call API operations in OpenAPI Explorer by using a web-based CLI tool. This simulates how to call API operations in Linux.

Scenarios

View the documentation of API operations

OpenAPI Explorer provides complete documentation of each API operation, including usage notes, throttling information, authorization information, request parameters, response parameters, response description, response examples, error codes, and change history. You can read the documentation of an API operation to determine whether the API operation meets your business requirements.

Perform debugging operations

Before you perform secondary development by using an API operation, you can verify the request method, request parameters, and the response of the API operation. OpenAPI Explorer provides web-based debugging and CLI debugging methods, which allow you to view the responses of API requests in a visualized manner. If an API request fails, you can troubleshoot the request as prompted in OpenAPI Explorer. This helps you quickly learn the features and usage notes of API operations.

Perform CLI debugging

If you want to write a shell script to manage cloud resources but do not know how to write the commands, you can go to the debugging page in OpenAPI Explorer and click the CLI Example tab to view the commands.

Integrate Alibaba Cloud SDKs

OpenAPI Explorer allows you to integrate Alibaba Cloud SDKs to call API operations. On the Cloud Service Homepage of a cloud service, all program languages that are supported by the service SDK are listed in the Supported Languages section. You can select a program language and an integration method to integrate the SDK into your project based on your business requirements.

If you want to use an Alibaba Cloud SDK to implement development, you may need sample code to assist you with the development. OpenAPI Explorer automatically generates SDK sample code in multiple program languages, such as Java, PHP, Python and Node.js, to provide guidance in the development process. The SDK sample code of each program language is available on the SDK Sample Code tab to help you quickly integrate the SDK.

Integrate ROS CDK

Resource Orchestration Service (ROS) provides a Cloud Development Toolkit (CDK) to help you define resources, create and configure resources, and implement automated deployment and O&M. OpenAPI Explorer allows you to integrate and debug the CDK and provides sample code.