i-UG i-Power Conference 2026

REST APIs are everywhere, and increasingly IBM i applications need to talk to them — whether that's consuming external services or connecting with modern web platforms. In this session, I'll show you how to integrate your IBM i applications with REST APIs using open source tooling available on the platform. I'll touch on the range of options available to IBM i developers, before taking a deep dive into Scott Klement's HTTPAPI service program — a well-established and widely used open source library that makes HTTP communication from IBM i practical and approachable for RPGLE developers. I'll cover the key concepts you need to understand, walk through how HTTPAPI works in practice, and demonstrate how you can get your IBM i applications communicating with external REST APIs without leaving the platform you know.