Best way to use REST API for cloud automation

macOS
1

I would like to automate the use of a REST API and looking for suggestions on the best approach.

The actual use case is creating a lot of shortcut URL’s using the tinycc.com URL shortener service.

I have found sample code using either curl or small python script and wondering the best approach:

Each time I use the workflow, I need to use it for 20 different URL’s. Only one portion of the REST API curl (or equivalent) command line changes, so I need a mechanism to invoke the API 20 times substituting one parameter.

Looking for simplicity, even if not as fully automated as possible.

The workflow is started manually from a Mac.

Should I simply use some kind of shell script directly, or perhaps called from keyboard maestro, shortcuts, AppleScript?

Or some other mechanism to iterate over the parameter substitution even if I just duplicate the curl 20 times into one script file and use a simple editor global replace command each time I run it?

A little bit of manual work each time I run it versus an overly complicated initial development effort and cryptic longer script is a reasonable trade-off for me as right now I am using a manual process via a webpage interactively which is tedious and takes a lot of elapsed time.

2

I would either use Curl or Shortcuts.

The choice would depend upon the destination and the rest of the automation being used.

I would parameterise and loop things to read the list of URLs from a file or clipboard and then process each entry (e.g. each line is one URL).

Then either each loop or all at the end would pass on the result to an appropriate destination.

1 Like
3

Is there a sample curl script posted somewhere that loops over a parameter where I could just cut/past my own REST API call and token?

4

It would just be a standard loop sort of structure.

Take a look at this one. It prints lines from a file. You could do similar but just sub in your curl command and have the line as the URL item of data for the API.

5

Ok, finally got the basics working.

Turns out the curl code I had wasn’t correct. I emailed the services developer and they pointed me to another page of sample code that worked better.

Minor newbie thing: I wasn’t able to cut and paste the code right into a terminal commandline window.

I had to put the code into file.txt and then “sh file.txt” to get it to run properly.

No biggie, but as a rusty cmdline person, I’m assuming maybe I needed to quote the entire thing to feed into the cmdline prompt or maybe use a “here doc” thingy?

Now that the basic RESTAPI is working, I assume I can get a parametric loop going to automate what I want and will use the link you mentioned and others to get that working.