APIs for SQL: The Complete Developer Reference
SQL databases hold the data that most enterprise applications run on. Exposing that data through a well-designed API layer is one of the most common and most consequential decisions a development team makes. This site is a reference for developers and architects building, evaluating, or improving REST and GraphQL API layers over SQL databases.
Foundations
What Is a Database API? REST, GraphQL, and the SQL Data Layer Explained
A database API is an interface layer that exposes SQL data through HTTP endpoints. Learn how REST and GraphQL APIs over SQL databases work and why they matter.
11 min readREST API Over SQL Database: The Complete Implementation Guide
How to build a REST API over a SQL database. Covers endpoint design, schema reading, authentication, pagination, filtering, and deployment patterns.
13 min readGraphQL vs REST for SQL Database APIs: A Technical Comparison
Comparing GraphQL and REST for SQL-backed APIs. Covers query flexibility, N+1 problems, schema definition, tooling, and when each approach fits enterprise SQL databases.
12 min readBy Database
MySQL REST API: Building and Securing HTTP Endpoints Over MySQL
How to expose a MySQL database as a REST API. Covers connection pooling, stored procedure endpoints, authentication, and common MySQL-specific API patterns.
11 min readPostgreSQL REST API: Exposing Postgres Data Through HTTP Endpoints
Building a REST API over PostgreSQL. Covers JSONB endpoints, Row Level Security, views, PostgREST, and authentication patterns for Postgres-backed APIs.
12 min readSQL Server REST API: Exposing MSSQL Data as HTTP Endpoints
How to build a REST API over Microsoft SQL Server. Covers Windows Authentication, stored procedure exposure, Azure integration, and common MSSQL API patterns.
12 min readOracle Database REST API: Exposing Oracle Data via HTTP Endpoints
Building REST APIs over Oracle Database. Covers ORDS, PL/SQL package exposure, schema-based API namespacing, and Oracle-specific data type handling in REST responses.
12 min readSecurity & Architecture
Database API Security: Authentication, Authorization, and Access Control Patterns
Security patterns for REST APIs over SQL databases. Covers API keys, JWT, OAuth2, row-level security, field masking, and protecting databases from API-layer vulnerabilities.
13 min readDatabase API Gateway Architecture: Design Patterns for Enterprise SQL APIs
How to architect a database API gateway layer in enterprise environments. Covers placement in the stack, caching, connection pooling, multi-database federation, and failure handling.
13 min readAdvanced Patterns
API Rate Limiting for SQL Database Backends: Protecting Connection Pools
How to implement rate limiting for REST APIs backed by SQL databases. Covers connection pool exhaustion, per-client limits, sliding window algorithms, and database-aware throttling strategies.
11 min readAuto-Generating REST APIs from SQL Database Schema: How It Works
How automatic REST API generation from SQL schema works. Covers schema introspection, OpenAPI generation, relationship detection, and platforms that generate APIs from existing databases.
13 min readDatabase API Versioning: Managing REST API Changes as SQL Schemas Evolve
How to version REST APIs backed by SQL databases. Covers URL versioning, header versioning, schema migration strategies, backward compatibility, and deprecation patterns.
11 min read