External API integration
Eternal APIs are third-party services hosted outside of our bot structure. These come in many varying types and are used to solve many different problems, but their use in tandem with bots follows the same data flow structure.
The API call data flow structure between Slack, bot, and API service
We will build an example bot with API integration using a common and free-to-use API, namely that of the Wikimedia foundation.
Note
Be warned that while many APIs are free, there are many that charge when a certain amount of requests are made. Always check whether there is a fee before incorporating them into your bots.
The Wikimedia foundation API is an example of a representational state transfer (REST) service, which communicates using standard Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) protocols such as GET or POST. Many RESTful services require you to transmit a token along with your request, ensuring security and for monetizing the service by tracking the amount of requests made...
