Higher National Certificate/Diploma in

Computing
Assessment Brief
Unit Number and Title 29: Application Program Interfaces

Academic Year 2020 / 2021

Unit Tutor Nisala Aloka Bandara

Assignment Title Application Program Interfaces – Assignment

Issue Date 5th November 2021

Submission Date 16th January 2022

IV Name & Date Anutthara Senanayake

Submission Format

Part 1
The submission is in the form of a Documentation report written in a concise, formal business style
using single spacing and font size 12. You are required to make effective use of headings, bullet
points and subsections as appropriate. All work must be supported by research and referenced
using the Harvard referencing system.
Part 2
The submission is in the form of a ten-minute Microsoft® PowerPoint® style presentation to be
presented to your colleagues. The presentation can include links to performance data with
additional speaker notes and a bibliography using the Harvard referencing system. The presentation
slides for the findings should be submitted with speaker notes as one copy. You are required to
make effective use of headings, bullet points and subsections as appropriate. Your research should
be referenced using the Harvard referencing system. The recommended word limit is 500 words,
including speaker notes, although you will not be penalised for exceeding the total word limit.
Part 3
The students must prepare for 30 minutes of viva session to demonstrate the web platform built
along with the test data and should be prepared to answer for the questions and code modifications
raised by the panel of lecturers. The solution to be hosted and the fully functional solution to be
available in the public internet at the time of viva. (Student may complete the code modification on a
localhost version.)
Part 4
The submission is in the form of a Documentation report written in a concise, formal business style
using single spacing and font size 12. You are required to make effective use of headings, bullet
points and subsections as appropriate. All work must be supported by research and referenced
using the Harvard referencing system.

Unit Learning Outcomes

LO1 Examine what an API is, the need for APIs and types of APIs.
LO2 Apply the knowledge of API research to design an application that incorporates relevant APIs for
a given scenario or a substantial student chosen application.
LO3 Implement an application in a suitable development environment
LO4 Document the testing of the application, review and reflect on the APIs used

Assignment Brief and Guidance

Assignment:
This assignment to be based on the product catalogue you have created as the submission for Unit
10 - Website Design & Development.

You are to upgrade your shopping catalogue application (created in Unit 10 - Website Design &
Development) to a fully functional web sales front oriented for customers in general public.

The solution should use user authentication, authorization for sensitive features, and leverage on
API keys to allow secure access to APIs.

All deliverables and examples for all parts of this assignment to be only drawn from your own
design/implementation.

Part I: Report
Discuss the concept of API and its relationship to the concept of SDK in detail with suitable
examples. Discuss a range of API’s that can be used to build a rich web application (like suggested in
the assignment case) and critically review the security concerns of using first party, second party and
third-party API’s

Part II : Presentation
Select, present and justify a selection of API’s to be implemented in your solution. Present the
wireframe design for each screens or page. You are required to consume minimum of 5 external
APIs that are useful in the case at hand and Expose 3 API’s which will expose three useful functions
to any 3rd party system that wishes to integrate.

Part III : Development and Viva

Build the application designed in part II. You are required to build the solution in fully with relevant
security measured and present it in a viva.

Part IV : Test report and critical reflection

Design and carry out a comprehensive and complete Blackbox and Whitebox testing and make
necessary amendments to the code based on test results. Create a formal report with a proper
introduction, test plan, test evidences, test conclusions and evidences to the amendments made
based on test results.
Write a critical evaluation on API’s used and created within the solution and provide a data security
report covering the resulting application.

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Pass Merit Distinction

LO1 Examine what an API is, the need for APIs and types of
APIs
D1 Evaluate potential
P1 Examine the relationship M1 Asses a range of APIs for a security issues surrounding
between an API and a particular platform that covers APIs
software development kit a range of uses.
(SDK).

LO2 Apply the knowledge of API research to design an D2 Create a design for a
application that incorporates relevant APIs for a given scenario
chosen substantial
or a substantial student chosen application
application that will utilise
P2 Analyse an existing M2 Design an application that a range of APIs, justifying
will utilize an API for a given
application that could be choices.
purpose.
extended with a suitable
API.

LO3 Implement an application in a suitable D3 Construct an

development environment application utilising
multiple APIs, following
P3 Build on an existing M3 Develop an application
the designs in LO2.
application framework to that utilises an API.
implement an API.

LO4 Document the testing of the application, review D4 Critically evaluate the
and reflect on the APIs used APIs used within your
application. Provide a
P4 Design and complete a M4 Conduct ‘black box’
‘white box’ test of the data security report of
application, recording the tests of your application, your application.
recording the results.
results.
M5 Update the application
accordingly with the results.