LiveWork API Overview

The LiveWork API allows client applications to interact with the data stored on the LiveWork platform. There are a number of general--but important--points to keep in mind when working with the LiveWork API:

The LiveWork API is HTTP-based and RESTful

The LiveWork API is HTTP-based and adheres to the princples of REST (Representational_State_Transfer). As such, the API is built so that client applications interact with individual resources stored on the LiveWork platform via HTTP requests utilizing the four HTTP methods: POST, GET, PUT, and DELETE--which are analogous to the four standard CRUD operations: create, read, update, and delete, respectively. API methods which create a new resource use the POST HTTP method; API methods which read an existing resource use the GET HTTP method; API methods which update an existing resource use the PUT HTTP method; and finally, API methods which delete an existing resource use the DELETE HTTP method. Failure to use the correct HTTP method when attempting to call a particular API method will result in an error.

The LiveWork API returns XML

The LiveWork API currently returns all response data in XML. We are looking into adding support for other response formats, including JSON, RSS, and Atom. When support for these formats becomes available, client applications will be able to select their desired response format by appending the corresponding extension to the API request. If the format extension is omitted, an XML response will be returned by default (as is currently the case).

The LiveWork API uses OAuth for authentication

The LiveWork API uses OAuth to authenticate both the client application and the LiveWork user responsible for every API request. For more information, see Authentication.

The LiveWork API acts on behalf of a LiveWork user

All requests made to the LiveWork API are done in the context of a preexisting LiveWork user. This is in keeping with the OAuth authentication system in place but bears repeating. This means that there is no such thing as an anonymous request to the LiveWork API. It also means that read/write access to the resources stored on the LiveWork platform is determined by the specific permissions already in place for the LiveWork user represented by the API request.

The LiveWork API expects formatted parameters

All parameters submitted in requests made to the LiveWork API should be converted to UTF-8 and URL encoded.

The LiveWork API returns paginated resource collections

All requests made to the LiveWork API that return a collection of resources will see those resources returned in a paginated fashion.

The LiveWork API is rate limited

The LiveWork API responds to a limited number of requests from a particular client application within a particular time frame. For more information, see Rate Limiting.

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