API tools

Several tools work well for calling the CDB API. The right choice depends on the workflow: GUI exploration, shell scripting, IDE-based development, or production code.

Postman

Postman is a GUI application for calling the API. Import cloud_api.yaml to generate a Cloud collection, set the collection variable GCORE_API_KEY to the API token, and set the Authorization header to APIKey {{GCORE_API_KEY}}.

Collection authorization and reuse of a response value are in Use Postman.

HTTPie

HTTPie (http command) is a curl alternative with a more readable syntax. It color-formats responses, handles JSON automatically, and is well-suited for quick terminal work.

Install

Install using the package manager for the operating system in use:

OS	Command
macOS	`brew install httpie`
Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)	`sudo apt install httpie`
Windows	`winget install httpie` or `pip install httpie`
Any	`pip install httpie`

Verify: http --version

Syntax

An HTTPie request is shorter and more readable than the equivalent curl command:

# curl
curl "https://api.cdb-staging.cdn.orange.com/iam/clients/me" \
  -H "Authorization: APIKey $GCORE_API_KEY"

# HTTPie equivalent
http GET https://api.cdb-staging.cdn.orange.com/iam/clients/me \
  "Authorization:APIKey $GCORE_API_KEY"

Key differences from curl:

No quotes around the URL (unless it contains special characters)
Headers are written as Key:Value without the -H flag
GET is the default and can be omitted
JSON responses are automatically formatted and color-coded

A POST request with a JSON body:

# curl
curl -X POST "https://api.cdb-staging.cdn.orange.com/cloud/v1/networks/$PROJECT_ID/$REGION_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: APIKey $GCORE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "my-network"}'

# HTTPie equivalent
http POST https://api.cdb-staging.cdn.orange.com/cloud/v1/networks/$PROJECT_ID/$REGION_ID \
  "Authorization:APIKey $GCORE_API_KEY" \
  name="my-network"

HTTPie serializes key=value arguments as JSON automatically and sets Content-Type: application/json.

Set the token as an environment variable and reference it as $GCORE_API_KEY to avoid shell expansion issues. See API basics for details.

VS Code REST Client

The REST Client extension for Visual Studio Code sends HTTP requests directly from a .http file in the editor, so requests live alongside the code that uses them and can be committed to version control.

Install

Open VS Code.
Press Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (macOS) to open Extensions.
Search for REST Client (author: Huachao Mao) and click Install.

Create a request file

Create a file named gcore.http anywhere in the project:

@baseUrl = https://api.cdb-staging.cdn.orange.com
@projectId = 1234567
@regionId = 76

### Verify token
GET {{baseUrl}}/iam/clients/me
Authorization: APIKey {{$dotenv GCORE_API_KEY}}

### List projects
GET {{baseUrl}}/cloud/v1/projects
Authorization: APIKey {{$dotenv GCORE_API_KEY}}

### List instances
GET {{baseUrl}}/cloud/v1/instances/{{projectId}}/{{regionId}}
Authorization: APIKey {{$dotenv GCORE_API_KEY}}

Click Send Request above any request to run it. The response opens in a side panel.

{{$dotenv GCORE_API_KEY}} reads the token from a .env file in the workspace root. Create .env:

GCORE_API_KEY=29841_c767b250...

Paste the token value exactly as copied from the portal — no escaping needed.

Add .env to .gitignore to avoid committing the token.

Bruno and Insomnia

Bruno and Insomnia are open-source alternatives to Postman with similar GUI-based workflows. Both support OpenAPI import.

Bruno stores collections as plain text files in the filesystem (no cloud sync required), making it a good choice for teams that want collections committed to version control alongside code.

Both tools accept the same cloud_api.yaml import file described in the Postman section above.