HTTP Status Codes

In order to interact with external web services via their APIs, it is important to learn the basic HTTP status codes and what they signify. As you develop your own APIs and backend systems, you should properly return appropriate status codes to calling systems in order to make it easier for external systems to use your API and services. If you are totally unfamiliar with HTTP status codes, you should review the reference material below and learn the common ones. If you are already familar with the concept, you should know where to look these codes up should you encounter them in the future.

Goals/Objectives/Outcomes

• Understand how HTTP status codes are used in web applications
• Learn the different series of status codes and what they signify
• Understand the importance of returning appropriate status codes in your own application

Reference Material

• http://www.restapitutorial.com/httpstatuscodes.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_HTTP_status_codes
• http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec10.html
• http://www.w3.org/Protocols/HTTP/HTRESP.html

Measures of Success

• Participant can articulate the 5 series of status codes and what they signify as well as know the key status codes by meory
• Participant knows where to look up status codes when encountered
• Participant has demonstrated the practice of returning appropriate status codes in their own applications