API101 Workshop - APIStrat Amsterdam 2014

API 101

WHAT ARE APIS, AND HOW CAN I USE THEM TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD?

http://apicodex.3scale.net Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101

TALK OVERVIEW• Intros and Getting Started

• Dive into APIs

• Business and Technical Cases

• REST Deconstructed

• API and Developer Success

http://apicodex.3scale.net/

http://www.princesspolymath.com/


INTROS AND GETTING STARTED

• Who are we?

• Who are you?

• Quick API definition

• API Example

• Workshop Participation



WHO IS KIRSTEN?

API NINJA (DEVELOPER EVANGELIST)PRINCESS POLYMATH

Intros and Getting Started ->

WHO IS KEITH?

DEVELOPER EVANGELISTTROUBLEMAKER


http://www.princesspolymath.com Tweet thoughts to:#apistrat #api101

WHO ARE YOU?

Developers

Designers

Marketing

Management





ELEVATOR PITCHWhat is an API?

A predictable way to communicate with a computer system





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





ASKING QUESTIONS

Wave your hands around!

Tweet with #api101 and #apistrat

... or @synedra and @caseysoftware





SWITCHBOARDS AND ICED TEA





QUICK API EXAMPLEIntros and Getting Started ->



TWITTER -> WORDPRESS



HOW DOES THAT WORK?

Wordpress Plugin

Twitter API WordpressUses Authentication

Searches API for #api101

Formats response

Fills in sidebar





DIVE INTO APIS

• Quick history of APIs

• What do current APIs make possible?




VERY BRIEF HISTORY

• Computer -> Computer• Databases• Backups

• Client -> Server• Email• Content Management Systems

• Web Client -> API Server

Dive into APIs ->




WHAT CAN APIS DO?

Dive into APIs ->




QUICK BREAK!

• Don’t forget to tweet or comment your questions or comments!

• Audience questions?

• Aaaaannnnndddd.... over to Keith!




So you want an API?

D Keith Casey Jr Platform GuyAustin, TX Op3nvoice




Talk Overview

• Intros & Getting Started

• Dive into APIs

• Business/Technical Cases


• API & Developer Success



Business Cases

Mobile/Market Penetration

Drive Usage

Defensive Strategy

Partner Connectivity

Technical Cases

Abstraction of Complexity

Simplifying Interfaces

Metered Usage

All of the Above


Platform as a Strategy

Making Stuff: How can we build more stuff?

Examples: manufacturing, NYT/blogging networks

Optimizing Stuff: How can we better distribute the stuff?

Examples: Walmart, search engines/RSS readers

Redefine Stuff: How can we redefine ‘stuff’ & find new ways to solve the problem?

Examples: Ebay/Amazon Prime, Twitter

Source: http://platformed.info/platform-thinking/



http://platformed.info/platform-thinking/

Architectural Considerations


What you can do: 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



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affordance

http://amundsen.com/blog/archives/1109


How you can do it: Hypermedia




What it looks like: 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



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schema_(psychology

http://json-schema.org/


Who can do it: Authentication & Authorization

Authentication - Confirming who are you

Authorization - Granting access to perform certain actions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authentication

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorization



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authentication

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorization


Talk Overview

• Intros & Getting Started

• Dive into APIs

• Business/Technical Cases


• API & Developer Success




TheAPIDesignBook.com



http://TheAPIDesignBook.com/



• Dive into APIs

• Business Cases






REST DECONSTRUCTED

• HTTP• Structure• Verbs

• REST• Structure• Verbs

• Response Formats• JSON• XML




CONVERSATIONS• Unique names for things

Iced Tea

• Create, Read, Update and Delete (CRUD) Order, Get order back, Change order, Cancel order

• Substitutions and changesUnsweetened, Extra Ice

• Context - For here or to go?

REST Deconstructed ->




HTTP

• HyperText Transfer Protocol

• Main internet protocol

• Browser->web server

• Technically - chatty, inefficient... simple

REST Deconstructed ->




HTTP MESSAGES

• Simple resource address - URL (name)

• Request -> Response

• Context in headers

• Substitutions: added to name

REST Deconstructed -> HTTP




REST STRUCTURE

• URL -> Name

• Context in headers

• Substitutions and changes





HTTP VERBS

• GET

• POST

• PUT

• DELETE

• ... and a few others





REST ACTIONS

• GET - Read back order

• POST - Place order

• PUT - Change order

• DELETE - Cancel order

• ... and a few others





RESPONSE FORMATSJSON { “My thing” : “Awesome sauce” }

• Smaller / More efficient• More human readable• Simpler to use in many programming languages• More natural for web developers

XML <stuff> <my_thing>Awesome sauce</my_thing> </stuff>

• More verbose• Less human readable• Good integration with .NET• Supports better meta- information with attributes

REST Deconstructed -> Formats





• Dive into APIs

• Business Cases






API AND DEVELOPER SUCCESS

• API Design

• Marketing your API

• Supporting your Developers




API 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?

• API Design and DevelopmentThursday, 11:20

• Hypermedia APIsThursday, 1:50




MARKETING YOUR API

• Clearly communicate API goals and usage

• Lower barrier to entry for developers

• API Marketing & Developer CommunitiesFriday, 11:45





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





QUESTIONS?

• Final check for questions on twitter/comments

• Audience questions?

• http://apicodex.3scale.net/content/API101



http://apicodex.3scale.net/content/API101

Technology

API101 Workshop - APIStrat Amsterdam 2014