API Development

After listening to the DreamForce 2012 Keynote address earlier this week it dawned on me that what the world has been experiencing in the last few years is nothing compared to what’s about to come.

Most people think of Facebooking or Tweeting is merely just a fun hobby or activity. For others it’s a business that is really still in its infancy.

What does The New York Times have to do with Best Buy? Or Intuit and ESPN? Maybe USA Today and Twilio?

The easy answer is that they are among the companies you’ll find represented at the annual Business of APIs (BAPI) conference, the premier global forum for API experts and professionals. The conference will be in the Julia Morgan Ballroom at Merchants Exchange in San Francisco on Oct., 360 Degrees in New York on Oct. 17 and Altitude 360 - 29th Floor at Millibank Tower in London on Nov. 6.

When you first set out to build your API, the number of factors to consider may be overwhelming.  Which functions do you need to expose to your clients?  Which should remain hidden?  What if you change your mind in the future?  Can your servers handle all of that additional load?  The list of questions goes on and on, and some of the trickiest issues may not apparent until you are stuck in the middle of them.  Fortunately, there are several existing patterns you can follow to address some of the most common concerns.

When you first set out to build your API, the number of factors to consider may be overwhelming.  Which functions do you need to expose to your clients?  Which should remain hidden?  What if you change your mind in the future?  Can your servers handle all of that additional load?  The list of questions goes on and on, and some of the trickiest issues may not apparent until you are stuck in the middle of them.  Fortunately, there are several existing patterns you can follow to address some of the most common concerns.