Demo of setting up basic API call

canvas_api_demo.py

#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Name:        canvas_api_demo.py
#
# Purpose:     Sample Program to use Python 3.6 to make Canvas API calls
#
# Author:      jdammeier
#-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
import requests, json
from pprint import pprint
from urllib.request import Request, urlopen

#Enter Canvas APi token to set up API Call
token = <'yourtokenhere'> 
request_headers={'Authorization': token}


#set data for call to canvas and for export
    #prepare url using info in user and name variables. Consult the canva API guide (https://canvas.instructure.com/doc/api/)
    #to return other objects or information

#replace <self> in a url with <user_id> or <sis_user_id:<sis_user_id>> if calling for someone else, provided you have correct permission
    #Everything after ? in the url specifies objects to be included according to documentation
#url = 'https://guerincatholic.instructure.com/api/v1/users/self/courses.json?include[]=total_scores&enrollment_state=active'

#this url gets basic canvas profile information. 
url = 'https://guerincatholic.instructure.com/api/v1/users/self.json'

    
#info for each api call
q = Request(url)
q.add_header('Authorization', 'Bearer ' + token)
u = urlopen(q)

#make the call and retrieve data
data = json.loads(u.read().decode())

#print returned data that can be assigned to any variable or returned form any function
pprint(data)