

Ask HN: What to keep in mind when designing an API? - kevinburke

I'm designing an API for information about the nearby colleges: current dining hall menus, whether they are open, list of events on campus, etc.<p>What should I be sure to do when I am implementing an API?
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nostrademons
The very first thing you should do: _talk to consumers of your API_.

API design is not something you do in a vacuum. It's basically user interface
design for programmers; after all, an API is an application programming
_interface_. And the first thing you do with UI design is find out how your
interface will be used. There's usually at least one surprise in there.

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stretchwithme
I think making it a RESTful API is a good thing. And make it consistent.
Document it well. Find a great example and understand why its great.

