With all the buzz that there has been around WordPress REST API over the past year, I think it's time to see the different implementations of this feature.

the REST API offers a new method for your external applications to chat with WordPress. (It is a means that is widely implemented in other platforms such as Facebook or Twitter, to allow applications to interact with data users).

It is a feature that therefore allows several programming languages ​​to come into contact, for example, the very popular JavaScript or even other languages ​​like Java or C #.

In this article, I will introduce you to the different WordPress Rest API implementations that work on platforms or websites.

1. Calypso

Calypso Implementation Rest API WordPress

Calypso, WordPress.com's new multi-site dashboard is an ideal showcase that illustrates the power of the REST API. It uses the REST API to communicate with not one, but all of your WordPress sites (yes, even self-hosted ones as long as you have Jetpack installed and activated on your WordPress blog).

This means that you can for example easily publish content to multiple sites from a single dashboard, quickly update plugins / themes or kernels on multiple sites and much more.

It was designed 100% with React, a JavaScript framework, which is therefore the perfect example of an ambitious project that uses the Rest API to connect a WordPress dashboard to a JS interface.

2. New York Times Live Coverage Blogs

You might have heard of this before in a talk by Matt Mullenweg in 2015. The NYT (New York Time) uses the WP REST API to power their blogs.

This is not really surprising, especially since New York Time has been using WordPress for a long time, but in addition they have also invested in Auttomattic, the company that runs WordPress.com, and the various plugins like Jetpack and Akismet.

Their latest addition to WordPress technology is the REST API, which uses Backbone.js and React.js. They use it to communicate between WordPress dashboards, and a custom editor made with Backbone.js. This content is then filtered and illustrated by an application that uses React.js.

3. Public Knowledge Project - Managing plugins submissions

publicknowledgeproject Implementation Rest API WordPress

Nate Wright mentioned last year that he was using the REST API to manage plugin submissions for Public Knowledge Project. The site " Public Knowledge Project Aims to provide academic journals with free software for the management of their online versions. This is done to combat the monopoly of some major newspapers with expensive fees which also result in expensive journal access. the latter's objective is to democratize the industry, and to facilitate access to knowledge for everyone.

4. iOS app for the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy

Since July of last year, Per Soderlind at mentionned that he was working on an iOS app for the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy.

While the author isn't very specific on what exactly he does, he does mention that the app is meant to tell people "what to do when a problem comes up".

This is an interesting use case, as it demonstrates the wide variety of people who could use the WordPress dashboard for their web or mobile apps with the REST API.

5. StoryCorps Mobile App (iOS and Android)

StoryCorps Implementation Rest API WordPress

For those of you who saw Matt's status in a speech last year (or at the beginning of this year), you've probably heard of this example before. Story Corps is a site where everyone can share their stories. They used the WordPress Rest API to build their iOS and Android app, to make it easy for people to share their stories from cell phones. This content is then synchronized from the WordPress dashboard, the content published on the site will synchronize with the mobile applications.

What this basically means is that if you submit a story from your app, you will be able to view that on the site, and if management posts something on the site in an area relevant to the app, the content will also be updated on your app.

One of the cool things about this implementation is that it demonstrates the scalability of WordPress, and also the REST API.

6. NomadBase - Web application that uses the Rest API

nomadbase Implementation Rest API WordPress

NomadBase is a web application that shows you where Nomads are currently in the world (in this case the digital Nomads are the members who use the application, the nomads are not those found in the deserts).

The web application was built by  Human Made, a WordPress agency that even have members who contribute to the REST API.

The app was inspired by digital nomads who come together, gathered at a DNX conference.

7. Custom Contact Forms - (re) Building a Contact Form Plugin

customcontactforms Implementation Rest API WordPress

Custom Contact Forms is a plugin that uses the WordPress REST API. it's an elegant plugin for, you guessed it, creating forms personalized on your WordPress blog.

The plugin uses the API not only on the frontend, but also on the backend. The app has been completely rebuilt to use the API.

Conclusion

As you can see from these examples, there is a wide variety of things you can do with the Rest API.

The REST API is powerful, and adds a whole new dimension to WordPress for developers and users in general. Whether you are an avid developer, keen to bring something new to the WordPress ecosystem, or if you are an avid user, and looking forward to new themes and plugins using this feature, the future will certainly have a lot for us. more.