Anthony Addae
Software EngineerNone
Anthony Addae is a Senior Backend Engineer, open-source advocate, and technical mentor based in Ghana. With almost a decade years of experience engineering production systems, Anthony is deeply committed to empowering developers across the continent. He serves as an organizer for Python conferences/workshops, frequently speaks on practical backend design, and mentors incoming talent through Django Girls and PyClubs.
Abstract
Building a RESTful API is the gateway to modern backend engineering, yet many beginners get lost in the syntax and miss the underlying principles that make an API great. Whether you are building a mobile app, a web platform, or climate-tech infrastructure, the API is the "contract" that holds your system together. In this talk, we will demystify the Request-Response cycle and learn how to build a RESTful API from scratch using Python and Django REST Framework. Drawing from my experience building mission-critical systems in Fintech and Cybersecurity, I will guide you through: The REST Philosophy: Understanding HTTP verbs (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) as a logical conversation. The Power of Serializers: How to safely transform complex data into JSON and back. Defensive Engineering: Implementing input validation and meaningful HTTP status codes to prevent common failures. Self-Documenting Code: Using tools like Swagger/OpenAPI to make your API user-friendly for other developers. You don't need a decade of experience to write code like a pro. Join me to learn how to build APIs that are reliable, inclusive, and ready for the real world.