API 101 - Understanding APIs
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The document is a transcript from an API 101 workshop that provides an introduction to APIs. In the workshop, two presenters discuss what APIs are, the business benefits of APIs, REST architecture, and tips for API design and developer success. They cover topics such as API history, how APIs enable applications and services, examples of companies that built platforms using APIs, REST principles like HTTP verbs and response formats, and best practices for marketing and supporting developers. The workshop includes presentations, examples, and opportunities for audience Q&A.
API 101 - Understanding APIs
- 1. API 101 What are apis, and how can I use them to take over the world?
- 2. talk overview • Intros and Getting Started • Dive into APIs • Business Cases • REST Deconstructed • API and Developer Success http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 3. Intros and getting started • Who are we? • Who are you? • Quick API definition • API Example • Workshop Participation http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 4. tros and Getting Started -> Who is kirsten? API Ninja (developer evangelist) Princess Polymath
- 5. tros and Getting Started -> Who is Keith? DEVELOPER EVANGELIST TROUBLEMAKER
- 6. tros and Getting Started -> who are you? Developers Designers Marketing Management http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 7. tros and Getting Started -> elevator pitch What is an API? A predictable way to communicate with a computer system http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 8. tros and Getting Started -> it’s a workshop! We’re here to learn This is a safe space There are no stupid questions Someone else wants to ask too I’ll give you a treat! http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 9. tros and Getting Started -> asking questions Wave your hands around! Tweet with #api101 and #apistrat ... or @synedra and @caseysoftware Comment on the API 101 Cheatsheet on http://www.princesspolymath.com http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 10. tros and Getting Started -> quick api example http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 11. tros and Getting Started -> twitter -> wordpress
- 12. tros and Getting Started -> how does that work? Wordpress Plugin Twitter API Uses Authentication Wordpress Searches API for #api101 Formats response Fills in sidebar http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 13. dive into apis • Quick history of APIs • What do current APIs make possible? http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 14. Dive into APIs -> Very Brief History • Computer -> Computer • Databases • Backups • Client -> Server • Email • Content Management Systems • Web Client -> API Server http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 15. Dive into APIs -> what can apis do? http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 16. quick break! • Don’t forget to tweet or comment your questions or comments! • Let’s check what’s there now... network willing • Audience questions? • Aaaaannnnndddd.... over to Keith! http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 17. So you want to build an API? D Keith Casey Jr Developer Evangelist, Austin
- 18. TALK OVERVIEW • Intros and Getting Started • Dive into APIs • Business Cases • REST Deconstructed • API and Developer Success @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 19. Business Cases @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 20. API FIRST! @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 21. @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 22. Platform as a strategy @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 23. Something to stand on Instead of building everything yourself.. Blackberry/RIM Build a platform that others can build on to create value.. Apple @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 24. stuff vs optimization Stuff: How can we build more stuff? Examples: manufacturing, NYT/blogging networks Optimization: How can we better distribute the stuff? Examples: Walmart, search engines/RSS readers Platform: How can we redefine ‘stuff’ & find new ways to solve the problem? Examples: Ebay/Amazon Prime, Twitter Source: http://platformed.info/platform-thinking/ @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 25. hope as marketing @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 26. marketing as marketing Toolbox Easy to use & plug into the system Magnet Pulls customers (both producers & consumers) into the system Matchmaker Accelerate & facilitate connections between producers & consumers Source: http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/01/three-elements-of-a-successful-platform/ @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 30. DRIVE USAGE: TWITTER/FACEBO OK @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 32. email: Sendgrid Abstraction Abstraction @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 33. storage: Dropbox metered usage metered usage @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 34. inboxes: Context.io simplification simplification @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 35. telephony: Twilio All of the above (abstraction, metered usage, simplification) (abstraction, metered usage, simplification) (abstraction, metered usage, simplification) @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 37. Schema “An outline or model; organized pattern of thought or behavior” Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schema_(psychology) WRT Hypermedia: http://json-schema.org @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 38. Affordances “An affordance is a quality of an object, or an environment, which allows a user to perform an action.” Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affordance WRT Hypermedia: http://amundsen.com/blog/archives/1109 @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 39. Choose your own Adventure @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 40. Versioning • Two schools of thought: • Part of the name • Keith vs Keith Jr • /v1/name-of-item vs /v2/name-of-item • Part of the conversation (content negotiation) • Lunch @CaseySoftware vs dinner menu Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 41. Authentication & Access Control Access Control @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 42. TALK OVERVIEW • Intros and Getting Started • Dive into APIs • Business Cases • REST Deconstructed • API and Developer Success @CaseySoftware Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 43. talk overview • Intros and Getting Started • Dive into APIs • Business Cases • REST Deconstructed • API and Developer Success http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 44. REst deconstructed • HTTP • Structure • Verbs • REST • Structure • Verbs • Response Formats • JSON • XML http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 45. EST Deconstructed -> conversations • Unique names for things Iced Tea • Create, Read, Update and Delete (CRUD) Order, Get order back, Change order, Cancel order • Substitutions and changes Unsweetened, Extra Ice • Context For here or to go? http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 46. EST Deconstructed -> HTTP • HyperText Transfer Protocol • Main internet protocol • Browser->web server • Technically - chatty, inefficient... simple http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 47. EST Deconstructed -> HTTP http messages • Simple resource address - URL (name) • Request -> Response • Context in headers • Substitutions: added to name http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 48. EST Deconstructed -> HTTP HTTP verbs • GET • POST • PUT • DELETE • ... and a few others http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 49. EST Deconstructed -> HTTP REST Structure • URL -> Name • Context in headers • Substitutions and changes http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 50. EST Deconstructed -> HTTP REST actions • GET - Read back order • POST - Place order • PUT - Change order • DELETE - Cancel order • ... and a few others http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 51. EST Deconstructed -> Formats response formats JSON { “My thing” : “Awesome sauce” } • Smaller / More efficient • More human readable • Simpler to use in many programming languages • More natural for web developers http://www.princesspolymath.com XML <stuff> <my_thing>Awesome sauce</my_thing> </stuff> • More verbose • Less human readable • Good integration with .NET • Supports better metainformation with attributes Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 52. TALK OVERVIEW • Intros and Getting Started • Dive into APIs • Business Cases • REST Deconstructed • API and Developer Success http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 53. API AND DEVELOPER SUCCESS • API Design • Marketing your API • Supporting your Developers http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 54. PI and Developer Success -> API DESIGN • User Experience - What do you want people to do with your API? • System constraints - How do you want them to do it? • Creation, Design and Documentation of APIs Thursday, 11:20 (Apiary.io, Swagger, APISpark, Reverb!) • Hypermedia APIs Thursday, 1:50 (Elastic Path, NPR, Comcast, Layer7) http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 55. PI and Developer Success -> MARKETING YOUR API • Clearly communicate API goals and usage • Lower barrier to entry for developers • API Marketing and Evangelism Friday, 11:45 (SendGrid, Challengepost, WSO2, Hackerleague) • API Discovery Thursday, 11:20 (Mashape, Mulesoft, Klout, Parasoft) http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 56. PI and Developer Success -> DEVELOPER SUPPORT • Clear, consistent communication • Fantastic documentation, tutorials, libraries • Forums, participation • Provide excellent exploration and development tools • In short, respect your developers’ time and reduce confusion http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 57. Questions? • Final check for questions on twitter/comments • Audience questions? http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
- 58. WIFI? • PARC55-MEETING • Password is on ApistratSF2013 http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101
Editor's Notes
- #19: There are three things you should probably know about me.. first, I work for a company called Twilio where our mission is to change the way businesses communicate. [twilio spiel] Grab me after if you’d like to learn more.
- #31: perceived value
- #43: There are three things you should probably know about me.. first, I work for a company called Twilio where our mission is to change the way businesses communicate. [twilio spiel] Grab me after if you’d like to learn more.