The industry is made up of a wide variety of implementations, solutions, and frameworks. Within this cloud of competing systems, the messaging API fights for a very specific, often niche section of development efforts. The quest to find a strong standard for these types of APIs, then, is a continuing effort. Read more
There are plenty of reasons to name API endpoints thoughtfully. Choosing sensible names for API endpoints can drastically smooth out the learning curve for new developers, helping them intuitively know what to look for and where to find it. With that in mind, we’re dedicating this article to more than ten of the most effective best practices and conventions for naming API endpoints. Read more
We review Optic, a tool for auto-documenting and testing APIs
There are few things as important to the API developer experience as API specifications and API documentation. Both provide a vital conduit between the API provider and developer user, expressing critical information on functional aspects of the API. Read more
What’s your north star metric for developer relations?
Each developer relations program has a different opinion on what should be their north star metrics to measure the success of their platform. Some metrics are valid while others can be what are called vanity metrics. Read more
APIs are complex webs of interconnected applications, interfaces, frontends, and backends. Making sense of these systems is not always easy to do. When so much of the data coming into a system is from external sources that run the gamut from trusted to untrusted, known to unknown, the easiest way to classify that data is to classify it by the source origin – that is, to not talk about the nature of the data, but rather the nature of that which sent the data. Read more
As one of the most popular instant messaging platforms, Slack has built a name for itself in the ChatOps space thanks to its existing popularity and an extensive list of integrations. So, how easy is it to build your own bot? Read more
While no two APIs are exactly the same, they do tend to share a lot of characteristics, from design features to data formats. Looking closely at these traits allows us to identify distinct types of APIs, which we can use to set clear expectations, discuss what does (and doesn’t) work, and stick to relevant best practices. Read more
We tend to take HTTP methods for granted. In the API development space, methods are akin to the alphabet – often used, seldom considered. API developers typically only use GET, PUT, or POST, but the official HTTP Request Method registry lists 39 total HTTP verbs, each providing a method for powerful interactions. Read more
