Quick introduction to APIs: what they are and why they are important. Talk given in February 2014 at Girl Geek Meetup. http://camillebaldock.co.uk/introduction-to-apis/ Website: http://camillebaldock.co.uk Twitter: @camille_

1. WHAT IS AN API?
The basics: what should I know?
Camille Baldock, @camille_

2. ABOUT ME
• I’m a software engineer !
• I mostly work with APIs, developing them and
scaling them

3. DEFINITION
• Application Programming Interface
!
• An Application Programming Interface (API) is a
particular set of rules and specifications that a
software program can follow to access and make use
of the services and resources provided by another
particular software program that implements that API.

4. IT’S JUST AN INTERFACE
• A website is an interface between a user and a
computer.
!
• An API is a programmable interface between two
computers.

5. AN INTERFACETO WHAT ?

6. WHAT APIS HAVE I USED
TODAY ?

7. API HISTORY
• Ebay: 2000
• Facebook: 2002
• Flickr: 2004
• Twitter: 2006

8. READVS WRITE APIS
• Read APIs
!
• Write APIs

9. WHY HAVE AN API ?
• Outsource innovation
• Distributed Growth
• Syndication
• Revenues and New Business

10. HOWTO MAKE MONEY
FROM AN API

11. TYPES OF APIS
• Public
• Partner
• Private

12. ATIMELINE OF APIS

13. MASHUPS

14. TECHNOLOGIES
• XML: Get Facebook public feed

15. TECHNOLOGIES
• JSON: Posting a direct message onTwitter
• https://api.twitter.com/1.1/direct_messages/
new.json

16. WHAT MAKES A GOOD API?
• Simple, open and easy to get started
• The underlying service
• The right business model
• Developer support (the developers become your
client !)

17. JOURNEYTO A GOOD API
• Long journey: developer documentation, sample
apps
• Iterate until your interface is the way you and your
clients can work best together

18. WHAT IS AN API ?