To build a RESTful API with Ruby on Rails, follow these steps:
1. Set up a new Rails application by running the following command in your terminal:
“`
rails new api_name –api
“`
2. Change into the newly created application directory:
“`
cd api_name
“`
3. Generate a new controller for your API:
“`
rails generate controller api/v1/ControllerName
“`
4. Define your API routes in the `config/routes.rb` file. For example:
“`ruby
namespace :api do
namespace :v1 do
resources :controller_name
end
end
“`
5. Implement the actions (index, show, create, update, destroy) in your controller. For example:
“`ruby
module Api
module V1
class ControllerNameController < ApplicationController
def index
# Return a list of resources
end
def show
# Return a specific resource
end
def create
# Create a new resource
end
def update
# Update an existing resource
end
def destroy
# Delete a resource
end
end
end
end
“`
6. Implement the logic for each action based on your application’s requirements. You can interact with your models, perform validations, and return appropriate responses.
7. Test your API using tools like Postman or cURL to make requests to your API endpoints and verify the responses.
8. Optionally, you can add authentication and authorization mechanisms to secure your API. Popular gems for this purpose include Devise, JWT, or OAuth.
9. Deploy your API to a hosting platform of your choice, such as Heroku or AWS, to make it accessible to clients.
Remember to follow RESTful conventions when designing your API, such as using appropriate HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT/PATCH, DELETE) for each action and returning appropriate HTTP status codes in the responses.