Chapter Summary

You started this chapter with an API design in Apidog. Now you have a fully functional API running in production, accessible from anywhere on the internet.

Let's review what you accomplished.

What You Built

A complete User API with six working endpoints, deployed to production:

User registration with password hashing

User profile retrieval

Account updates with authentication

Account deletion

Logout functionality

The API includes:

PostgreSQL database with proper schema

JWT-based authentication

Input validation with Pydantic

Proper error handling and status codes

CORS configuration

Environment-based configuration

Production deployment on Railway

This isn't a tutorial project. It's a real API with a public URL you can share and build on.

The Workflow You Learned

Design → Generate → Understand → Test → Deploy

You started with an API specification in Apidog. Cursor's AI generated the complete FastAPI implementation. You learned how the code works by reading through files and asking AI to explain concepts. Apidog's AI generated comprehensive test cases automatically. Railway deployed everything with one command.

This is modern API development: AI handles repetitive implementation, you focus on design, understanding, and customization.

Skills You Developed

AI-assisted development:
You learned to use Cursor to generate code from specifications, ask AI to explain implementations, and leverage AI for problem-solving. This workflow applies to any development project.

API fundamentals:
You understand REST principles, HTTP methods, status codes, authentication patterns, and request/response cycles - not just in theory, but in working code.

Modern Python stack:
FastAPI, SQLAlchemy, Pydantic, JWT authentication. You've worked with current tools and seen how they fit together.

Testing and deployment:
You know how to generate test suites with AI, run them across environments, deploy to production platforms, and manage environment variables.

What Makes This Real

You have:

A deployed API with a real URL that works 24/7

Working code you understand and can modify

Automated tests that verify correctness

Production experience with real deployment platforms

You can add this to your portfolio. You can show it in interviews. You can build on it for real projects.

What's Next

You have a working API deployed to production. But how do you ensure it stays reliable as you add features? How do you document it so others can use it effectively?

The next chapters cover:

API Testing: Advanced testing strategies, test automation, and ensuring API reliability

Publishing API Documentation: Creating professional documentation that helps others use your API

Your API is live, but the development workflow continues.

Continue with → Chapter 7: Testing APIs

Let's make sure your API is thoroughly tested and well-documented.

What You Built#

The Workflow You Learned#

Skills You Developed#

What Makes This Real#

What's Next#

What You Built

The Workflow You Learned

Skills You Developed

What Makes This Real

What's Next