The REST API in Five Minutes

MarkLogic provides a RESTful interface to its powerful database and search functionality. If you're unfamiliar with some terms and concepts from basic web development (e.g., HTTP, URLs, XML, and JSON), you may want to go bone up on those elsewhere. And if you are a Java pro, you may prefer to see the Java version of this tutorial. Otherwise, please read on.

This tutorial walks you through some basic concepts. It also provides some elementary examples, with links to the REST Application Developer's Guide and API reference, where you can find details and richer examples.

To start with, the MarkLogic REST API assumes three job roles for individuals:

1. The developer. This person does the day to day programming against REST endpoints. They're a pro with .NET, Ruby, Python, or some other language, and the REST API documentation (Developers Guide and REST Client API reference) are the main exposure they have to MarkLogic.

2. The developer admin. This person controls MarkLogic administrative settings and configuration that affect the REST API's behavior. For example, they adjust current query settings, any stored transformations or extensions which may be called, and index settings. They do this via REST endpoints separate from those available to the regular developer. They do not access or administer MarkLogic outside of these endpoints.

3. The database admin. This person installs MarkLogic, creates users, sets up databases and REST servers, and manages and monitors them. They're the classic IT database administrator, often not a programmer.

In some cases, a single individual may have more than one of these roles. For example, if you're running MarkLogic on your own laptop, you'll assume all of these roles on day one.