1. Introduction

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are essential for connecting and exchanging data between different systems. Ingesting APIs into various applications facilitates data analysis, visualization, and integration. This technical document provides step-by-step instructions for ingesting APIs into popular applications: Microsoft Excel, Power BI, Postman, and Node-RED.

2. Prerequisites

2.1 API Authentication and Security

Before ingesting APIs into applications, ensuring proper authentication and security measures is essential to protect sensitive data and prevent unauthorized access. Common authentication methods include API keys, OAuth tokens, and bearer tokens. It's crucial to follow best practices for securing API credentials and implementing encryption where necessary.

2.2 Choosing the Right API Endpoint

Selecting the appropriate API endpoint is pivotal to obtain the required data. Understand the API's documentation to identify the correct endpoint URLs, request methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE), and query parameters. Thoroughly analyze the API's capabilities and limitations to avoid unnecessary data retrieval and optimize performance.

2.3 Data Formats (JSON, XML, etc.)

APIs often return data in different formats such as JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) or XML (eXtensible Markup Language). Familiarize yourself with the data format used by the API to correctly parse and process the received data. Most modern applications support JSON due to its lightweight and easy-to-read structure.

3. Accessing API Sample URL from Focus

1. Go to the Focus website(https://focus.mypv.pro/) and log in to your account.

1. Click the OPERATIONS icon located in the top right corner of the page and then select Performance Matrix.

1. Choose the appropriate matrix to retrieve the API data in the Performance Matrix tab. In the screenshot below, we have selected Monthly Reporting.

1. Click the Manage API button; this will retrieve performance matrix API data.