API Development Report

Objective

The objective of this task is to expose certain functionalities, such as listing desks and memberships, via an API for external or frontend integration. The API should be secured using token-based authentication and properly documented.

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1. API Routes

The API routes are defined in routes/api.php. These routes allow for reading and writing data related to desks and memberships. The routes are prefixed with v1/ to support future versioning.

Implemented Routes:

Route::prefix('v1')->group(function () {
    Route::get('/desks', [DeskController::class, 'index']);
    Route::post('/desks', [DeskController::class, 'store']);
    Route::get('/desks/{desk}', [DeskController::class, 'show']);
    Route::put('/desks/{desk}', [DeskController::class, 'update']);
    Route::delete('/desks/{desk}', [DeskController::class, 'destroy']);

    Route::get('/memberships', [MembershipController::class, 'index']);
    Route::post('/memberships', [MembershipController::class, 'store']);
    Route::get('/memberships/{membership}', [MembershipController::class, 'show']);
    Route::put('/memberships/{membership}', [MembershipController::class, 'update']);
    Route::delete('/memberships/{membership}', [MembershipController::class, 'destroy']);

    Route::post('/login', [AuthController::class, 'login']);
    Route::post('/logout', [AuthController::class, 'logout'])->middleware('auth:sanctum');
});

Screenshot: Laravel Route List

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2. API Controllers

API controllers handle the logic for interacting with desks and memberships. Separate controllers were created using Laravel Artisan:

php artisan make:controller Api/DeskController
php artisan make:controller Api/MembershipController
php artisan make:controller Api/AuthController

Screenshot: Api/DeskController.php

Screenshot: Api/MembershipController.php

Screenshot: Api/AuthController.php

Example: DeskController Implementation

public function update(Request $request, Desk $desk)
{
    $request->validate([
        'name' => 'string|max:255',
        'location' => 'string|max:255',
        'status' => 'in:available,occupied,maintenance',
    ]);

    $desk->update($request->all());

    return response()->json(['message' => 'Desk updated successfully', 'desk' => $desk], 200);
}

Screenshot: Updating a Desk

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3. API Authentication

To protect the API endpoints, Laravel Sanctum was implemented for token-based authentication. Only authenticated users can modify resources.

Steps:

1. Install Sanctum

   composer require laravel/sanctum
   php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Laravel\Sanctum\SanctumServiceProvider"
   php artisan migrate
   

2. Configure Sanctum Middleware in app/Http/Kernel.php

   protected $middlewareGroups = [
       'api' => [
           \Laravel\Sanctum\Http\Middleware\EnsureFrontendRequestsAreStateful::class,
           'throttle:api',
           \Illuminate\Routing\Middleware\SubstituteBindings::class,
       ],
   ];
   

3. Protect Routes

   Route::middleware('auth:sanctum')->group(function () {
       Route::put('/desks/{desk}', [DeskController::class, 'update']);
       Route::delete('/desks/{desk}', [DeskController::class, 'destroy']);
   });
   

Screenshot: Unauthorized API Request (401 Error)

Screenshot: Logging In and Retrieving Token

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4. Versioning & Documentation

To support API versioning, all routes are prefixed with v1/. This ensures future compatibility as new versions of the API can be introduced without breaking existing implementations.

API Documentation

A basic API documentation folder (docs/) has been created to store endpoint details. The documentation includes:

• HTTP Method: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE
• Endpoint: /api/v1/desks
• Request Parameters: JSON payload examples
• Response Examples

Additionally, Postman can be used for documenting and testing the API.

Screenshot: API Requests in Postman

Creation of desk

Creation of membership

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Conclusion

The API has been successfully developed with the following key features:

• RESTful API endpoints for desks and memberships.
• Token-based authentication using Laravel Sanctum.
• Proper validation for incoming requests.
• Versioning support for future updates.
• Basic API documentation for external developers.

Future improvements can include rate limiting, API logging, and detailed Swagger documentation.