Building RESTful APIs with PHP: Best Practices

Introduction to RESTful APIs

REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style for designing networked applications. In this guide, we'll explore how to build production-ready APIs with PHP.

Key Principles

• Use proper HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
• Return appropriate status codes
• Version your API
• Implement proper authentication

Project Structure

/api
  /v1
    /controllers
    /models
    /middleware
  config.php
  index.php

Authentication

For API authentication, consider using JWT (JSON Web Tokens). They're stateless, scalable, and work well with mobile applications.

Error Handling

Always return consistent error responses with proper HTTP status codes. Include error codes and messages that help developers debug issues quickly.

Building APIs is one of the most valuable skills for modern developers. Master it, and you'll be able to power any frontend or mobile application.