The document discusses how SDKs and code samples are cornerstones of API developer experience. It notes that decades ago, developers had to work with machine code directly, but now have access to higher-level languages, SDKs and code samples to more easily access and build on APIs. The document advocates that API providers should focus on automating the creation of dynamic code samples and SDKs to remove redundant work for developers and provide a premium developer experience.

1. SDKs & Code
Samples – The
Cornerstones of API
Developer Experience
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2. Hello!
2
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3. How Many Developers in the World?
3
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4. 50 Million Developers
4
21 Million Professionals
https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2019@APIMatic | @AdeelAli25

5. Developer Experience
A Few Decades Ago?
5
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6. Guess
What!
6
Machine Code
0000 1001 1100 0110 1010 1111 0101 1000
1010 1111 0101 1000 0000 1001 1100 0110
1100 0110 1010 1111 0101 1000 0000 1001
0101 1000 0000 1001 1100 0110 1010 1111
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7. Simple Swap
7
mov BL, 02h
mov AX,0A56h
mul BL
Assembly Code
Machine Code
0000 1001 1100 0110 1010 1111 0101 1000
1010 1111 0101 1000 0000 1001 1100 0110
1100 0110 1010 1111 0101 1000 0000 1001
0101 1000 0000 1001 1100 0110 1010 1111
temp = v[k];
v[k] = v[k+1];
v[k+1] = temp;
High level language
Code
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8. 8
Preprocess
Compile
Assemble
Link
mov BL, 02h
mov AX,0A56h
mul BL
Assembly Code
Machine Code
0000 1001 1100 0110 1010 1111 0101 1000
1010 1111 0101 1000 0000 1001 1100 0110
1100 0110 1010 1111 0101 1000 0000 1001
0101 1000 0000 1001 1100 0110 1010 1111
temp = v[k];
v[k] = v[k+1];
v[k+1] = temp;
High level language
Code
@APIMatic | @AdeelAli25

9. 9
mov BL, 02h
mov AX,0A56h
mul BL
Assembly Code
Machine Code
Preprocess
Compile
Assemble
Link
0000 1001 1100 0110 1010 1111 0101 1000
1010 1111 0101 1000 0000 1001 1100 0110
1100 0110 1010 1111 0101 1000 0000 1001
0101 1000 0000 1001 1100 0110 1010 1111
temp = v[k];
v[k] = v[k+1];
v[k+1] = temp;
High level language
Code
@APIMatic | @AdeelAli25

10. Focus: Creative
Abstract out: Redundant
DX
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11. Developer Experience in
The API World
11
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12. 12

13. 13
What
Developers
should be
Doing?
Design/Develop APIs Design/Develop AppsCreative
Providers Consumers
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14. 14
What They
End Up
Doing?
Design/Develop APIs Design/Develop AppsCreative
Providers Consumers
￮ HTTP Logic
￮ Auth Logic
￮ Retries
￮ Cashing
￮ Create/Test/Update
Docs & Portal
￮ Code Samples
￮ SDKs
+
Redundant
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15. 15
Design/Develop APIs Design/Develop AppsCreative
Providers Consumers
￮ HTTP Logic
￮ Auth Logic
￮ Retries
￮ Cashing
￮ Create/Test/Update
Docs & Portal
￮ Code Samples
￮ SDKs
+
Redundant
f
Remove Redundancy via
Automation for a Premium
Developer Experience!
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16. 16
Behind The Scene of
an API call
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17. An API Call
17
Input
Output
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18. 18
Input
Output
Configuration
Arguments for
API Call
Authentication
Credentials
An API Call
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19. 19
Input
Output
Checks and Validations
Encode Inputs
Serialize body
Build HTTP request
Make HTTP Call
Deserialize body
Decode to output
Handle errors
Configuration
Arguments for
API Call
Authentication
Credentials
An API Call
@APIMatic | @AdeelAli25

20. 20
Input
Output
Checks and Validations
Encode Inputs
Serialize body
Build HTTP request
Make HTTP Call
Deserialize body
Decode to output
Handle errors
Configuration
Arguments for
API Call
Authentication
Credentials
S
D
K
An API Call
@APIMatic | @AdeelAli25

21. API Wrappers
SDKs
21
There’s more to HTTP calls and
serialization/deserialization
￮ Caching
￮ Retries
￮ Analytics
￮ Validation
￮ Error Messages
￮ Authentication
￮ Linking
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22. Code Samples
The quickest path to “Hello World”
22
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23. Less Useful
Code Samples
￮ Static
￮ Incomplete

24. 24
Code Samples for
Better DX
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• Should demonstrate actual (non-theoretical) uses
of the API
• Should be runnable – developers be able to
prove that it works, before using it themselves
• Come with code playground – setup an
environment to start using a particular API
https://www.programmableweb.com/news/six-pillars-complete-developer-documentation/2011/09/12

25. Dynamic and
Interactive Code
Samples
25
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26. 26

27. 27

28. 28

29. 29

30. 30
Blending
Creative &
Redundant
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31. Continous Code
Generation
A DevOps technique to Generate, Build, Test, Deploy
SDKs and Docs
31
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32. 32
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33. 33
Code
Build
Test
Deploy
Change
DevOps
Cycle
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34. 34
Code
Build
Test
Deploy
API
Change
DevOps
Cycle
Continuous Code Generation
-------- Automate
@APIMatic | @AdeelAli25

35. 35
FrontEnd
(Angular)
BackEnd
(Java)
API Portal with
Languages Support
API
Automate Everything Using a Machine
Readable API Description

36. 36
Behind The Scenes

37. To Conclude
DX
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38. Know Your Audience, Speak Their Language
38
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39. DX
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Thank You
If you talk to a
man in a language
he understands,
that goes to his
head. If you talk to
him in his
language, that
goes to his heart