Handling API errors

Name:

Date:

Class:

Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. Which status code means an API request worked?

A 200

B 404

2. Which line checks whether the request succeeded?

A if response.status_code = 200:

B if response.status_code == 200:

3. What does a status code of 404 tell your program?

A The requested resource was not found

B The request worked and the data is ready

4. Which code stops the program from crashing if the internet connection drops?

A response = requests.get(url) print("Could not connect")

B try: response = requests.get(url) except requests.exceptions.RequestException: print("Could not connect")

5. Which message is better for a user when the API call fails?

A Sorry, we could not load the data. Please try again.

B requests.exceptions.ConnectionError: HTTPSConnectionPool

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1response.status_code == 200		AChecks whether the API call succeeded, because status code 200 means OK and the data came back.
2except requests.exceptions.RequestException:		Belif response.status_code == 404:
3A 404 status code means the resource was not found, so the program should tell the user rather than read the data.		Ctry: response = requests.get(url)
4Wrap requests.get() in a try block so that a connection failure can be handled by an except block.		DThe call is not in try/except and the status is not checked, so a failed call crashes the program or gives bad data.
5if response.status_code = 200:		ECatches a failed API call, such as no internet or a timeout, so the program can show a friendly message instead of crashing.
6response = requests.get(url) print(response.json())		FA single = assigns a value, so it is a syntax error. Use == to compare the status code with 200.

Definitions

response.status_code

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

if response.___________ == 200:

___: response = requests.get(url) except requests.exceptions.RequestException:

response = requests.get(url) if ________.status_code == 404: print("Not found")

try: r = requests.get(url, timeout=5) except requests.exceptions.________________:

except requests.exceptions.RequestException: _____("Could not connect.")

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A import requests

B url = 'https://x.com/api'

C r = requests.get(url)

D if r.status_code = 200:

E print('Success')

Question 2

A try:

B r = requests.get(url)

C except requests.Timeout

D print('Server too slow')

Question 3

A r = requests.get(url)

B if r.status_code == '404':

C print('Not found')

D else:

E print(r.json())

Question 4

A import request

B try:

C r = requests.get(url)

D except requests.Timeout:

E print('Try again later')

Question 5

A r = requests.get(url)

B if r.status_code == 200:

C data = r.json

D else:

E print('Failed')

Answer Key

Handling API errors

Section A: Quick Questions

A — 200

B — if response.status_code == 200:

A — The requested resource was not found

B — try: response = requests.get(url) except requests.exceptions.RequestException: print("Could not connect")

A — Sorry, we could not load the data. Please try again.

Section B: Match the Pairs

response.status_code == 200 → Checks whether the API call succeeded, because status code 200 means OK and the data came back.

except requests.exceptions.RequestException: → Catches a failed API call, such as no internet or a timeout, so the program can show a friendly message instead of crashing.

A 404 status code means the resource was not found, so the program should tell the user rather than read the data. → elif response.status_code == 404:

Wrap requests.get() in a try block so that a connection failure can be handled by an except block. → try: response = requests.get(url)

if response.status_code = 200: → A single = assigns a value, so it is a syntax error. Use == to compare the status code with 200.

response = requests.get(url) print(response.json()) → The call is not in try/except and the status is not checked, so a failed call crashes the program or gives bad data.

Section C: Definitions

response.status_code — Check a response's status code (200 OK, 404 not found) and wrap requests.get() in try/except so a failed API call shows a friendly message, not a crash.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

if response.status_code == 200:

try:
    response = requests.get(url)
except requests.exceptions.RequestException:

response = requests.get(url)
if response.status_code == 404:
    print("Not found")

try:
    r = requests.get(url, timeout=5)
except requests.exceptions.RequestException:

except requests.exceptions.RequestException:
    print("Could not connect.")

Section E: Spot the Error

D — A single = assigns a value and is a syntax error in an if condition. Use == to compare the status code with 200.

C — The except line must end with a colon. It should be except requests.Timeout:

B — status_code is an integer, so comparing it with the string '404' is never true. It should be == 404 with no quotes.

A — The library is called requests, with an s. Importing request fails with a ModuleNotFoundError.

C — Without brackets, data holds the json method instead of the response data. It should be r.json() to call the method.