Author: DeanBlackborough

Posted on

OPTIONS requests

When I published the Costs to Expect API I was initially bemused, none of my OPTIONS requests worked, they all return “405 method not allowed”.

After searching, I diagnosed the problem. The HTTP OPTIONS request fails because the default PHP-CGI handler does not handle the “OPTIONS” verb.

The fix is simple, update or add the handler in web.config.

<handlers>
<remove name=”PHP72_via_FastCGI” />
<add name=”PHP72_via_FastCGI” path=”*.php” verb=”GET,PUT,POST,DELETE,HEAD,OPTIONS” modules=”FastCgiModule” scriptProcessor=”PATH\To\File\php-cgi.exe” resourceType=”Either” requireAccess=”Script” />
</handlers>

Posted on

Costs to Expect API

The Costs to Expect API is ready for release*.

I’m going to continue development to add additional features and start working on the summary endpoints and endpoints required for the companion website, however, the API itself could be released today.

The API is ready, five years and two months of child costs exist, the two need to be put together.

I’m going to work with my Wife to review and categorise the data. Our data is categorised, however, for the API we want to break the data down a little more, our data is split into thirteen categories, we intend to have fewer base categories and subcategories to provide the detail.

*I’m not setting a release date, it will be soon though, I want to get the API out before I look for a new contract and go back to work.

Once the API is out, I will start development on the companion website for data input (preview for iOS app), the iOS app and the website to display the data.

We have several long-term plans for the Costs to Expect API and website, one being to allow additional data, for example, localised costs for childcare/hobbies etc. Our intention is you will be able to augment our base data to get a more accurate idea.