# Working with APIs
Create PHP JSON APIs and retrieve database records through focused endpoints.
# Creating a Simple JSON API with PHP
In this tutorial, you will create a simple API using PHP.
The API will return JSON data when visited in a browser.
This is the same type of data format used by many real-world APIs.
---
## Project Structure
Create a folder called:
```text
api-demo
```
Inside the folder place:
```text
api-demo
├── api.php
└── smart_security_data.json
```
---
## Create the API File
Create:
```text
api.php
```
Add:
```php
```
Save the file.
---
## Understanding the Code
This line tells the browser that JSON data is being returned:
```php
header(
"Content-Type: application/json"
);
```
This line reads the JSON file:
```php
file_get_contents(
"smart_security_data.json"
);
```
This line sends the JSON data to the browser:
```php
echo file_get_contents(
"smart_security_data.json"
);
```
---
## Test the API
Open:
```text
http://localhost/api-demo/api.php
```
You should see:
```json
{
"homeId": "GC-HOME-014",
"location": "Gold Coast"
}
```
along with the rest of the JSON data.
## Test the API in a New Browser Tab
Notice that the URL now behaves like a data source.
Instead of displaying a webpage, it returns structured JSON data.
This is the same concept used by many modern APIs.
Example:
```text
https://example.com/api/users
https://example.com/api/products
https://example.com/api/weather
```
---
## Complete API File
```php
```
You have successfully created a JSON API using PHP.
# Reading API Data with JavaScript
The API returns JSON data when visited in a browser.
In this tutorial, you will use JavaScript to read data from the API and display it on a webpage.
---
## Project Structure
Your project should contain:
```text
api-demo
├── api.php
├── index.html
└── smart_security_data.json
```
---
## Create the HTML Page
Create:
```text
index.html
```
Add:
```html
API Demo
API Dashboard
```
Save the file.
---
## Read the API
Inside the `