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Tutorial - Use API

In this tutorial, you will learn how to use an API published on FastchargeAPI by someone else in less than 5 minutes.

TLDR​


pip install -U fastchargeapi-cli # install cli

fastapi login

# Subscribe to an app and specify the pricing plan by name, eg. "Free"
fastapi subscription add [APP_NAME] --plan Free

# Create an API token to authenticate the request
fastapi token create [APP_NAME]

# Make a request with the API token
curl "https://[APP_NAME].fastchargeapi.com/someresource" -H "X-Fast-API-KEY: [Your Token]"

Getting started​

For the purpose of this tutorial, we will use the official myapp example that's created in the previous tutorial: Publish API.

Install the FastchargeAPI cli-tools:​

In case you haven't installed the cli, there's the instruction for installing the cli again:

What you'll need​

Install the cli tool from pypi:

pip install -U fastchargeapi-cli

You can type this command into Command Prompt, Powershell, Terminal, or any other integrated terminal of your code editor.

The command also all necessary dependencies you need. It will install 2 command-line toos:

  • fastapi - cli when you are using an app published by someone else. This is the tool we'll use.
  • fastcharge - cli when you are publishing an app

Subscribe to a pricing plan​

Before using an API, you must be subscribed to a pricing plan offered by the app. Not All pricing plans charge an active monthly fee. And some of the plans offer free quota.

We will subscribe to the Free pricing plan that offers 100 free quota for this app.

First, sign in or sign up for the fist time to FastchargeAPI.com:

fastapi login

Then, run the following command to subscribe to the Free plan:

fastapi subscription sub myapp --plan Free

Create an API token​

Next, create an API token (api key) to authenticate the HTTP request:

fastapi token create myapp

Copy the API token from the output.

> Save this token! You will not be able to see it again.
eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9************************************

Make request to the app​

When sending a request, make sure that you include a HTTP header named X-Fast-API-KEY with the token.

List endpoints​

You may want to check out all endpoints provided by this app. To discover available endpoints for this app:

fastapi api ls myapp
"myapp" endpoints:

 ID:            endp_WyJteWFwcCIsMTY3NzgwMzUxOTA0NF0
 Endpoint:      https://myapp.fastchargeapi.com/google
 Google search.

Congratulation, now you can use the endpoint in your own applications.

curl "https://myapp.fastchargeapi.com/google?q=fastchargeapi" \
    -H "X-Fast-API-KEY: [Your Token]"