Applications (APIs) Part Seven – Handling APIs Retrieved from External Sources

The scripts for these exercises can be found in Book 7 "Programming Step-by-Step and More"

Books 1 through 7 are available for purchase on Amazon.

APIs – Interactive Application Development

2 Interactive Application Development

JavaScript is one of the most versatile and widely used programming languages in modern web development. Its focus on functional programming allows writing cleaner, more modular, and maintainable code, leveraging concepts such as pure functions, immutability, and composition.

In addition, JavaScript is fundamental for working with APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), as it facilitates connecting to and exchanging data with external services, which is essential for creating dynamic and real‑time applications.

Combined with its capability for interactive application development, JavaScript enables the creation of rich and responsive user experiences, integrating events, animations, and dynamic updates in the interface.

This set of features makes JavaScript an indispensable tool for developers who want to build modern, scalable, and user‑centered applications.

In today’s market there are various types of APIs that cover countless purposes. From weather applications, e‑commerce, publishing, news, and even entertainment, APIs have become essential tools for developers.

Most of these APIs are paid, offering advanced features and technical support. However, it is also possible to find free APIs on the web that are extremely useful for training and testing functionalities. These free APIs allow developers to experiment and create prototypes without incurring additional costs.

Furthermore, many of them have detailed documentation and active communities that make their integration and efficient use easier.

APIs. Weather and Posts. Fetched from External Sources

2.1 Weather Data. OpenWeatherMap

Example 1. Current weather in a city

Current Weather



2.2 List of Posts. JSONPlaceholder

Example 1. List of Posts. JSONPlaceholder API

APIs. News and Calculations. Fetched from External Sources

2.5 News APIs.

2.5.1 News from NewsAPI

News from NewsAPI

2.5.2 The Guardian Open.

News from The Guardian

APIs. Fetching Data and Technical Calculations

2.6.1 Market & Plant Efficiency (OpenEI)

2.6.2 Laboratorio Nacional de Energía Renovable (NREL)
1) PVWatts Solar Calculator (NREL)
2) Carbon_global Calculator (NREL)
in locations within the United States