First-Class APIs, PHPTek 11, Chicago

First-Class APIs

Helgi Þormar Þorbjörnsson
PHP Tek, Chicago, 25th May 2011

Thursday, 26 May 2011

Hi there, I’m Helgi


VP of Engineering at Orchestra.io


Developer at PEAR


Developer at PEAR
From Iceland


Developer at PEAR
From Iceland
@h on Twitter


1995 2000 2005 2010

John Musser
Founder, Programmable Web


Why do we need
a website?

1995 2000 2005 2010

John Musser


Why do we need Of course we
a website? have a website

1995 2000 2005 2010

John Musser


Why do we need Of course we Why do we need
a website? have a website an API?

1995 2000 2005 2010

John Musser


Why do we need Of course we Why do we need Of course we
a website? have a website an API? have an API

1995 2000 2005 2010

John Musser


Data is the new business model


APIs are the business glue


Business without an API?


Developers hunger to use
your data


Do not keep it all to your self


The data wasn’t yours to
begin with!


Mine? Mine? Mine?

Mine?
Mine?
Mine?
Mine?

Mine?

Mine?


Not everyone believes this


They do like their ivory towers


For years APIs have been
treated as...


Second-Class
Citizen


It’s a conceptional problem


Companies believe they will
lose business if they share


Websites are considered the
business


Not the API


APIs are for the cool kids


Or...


Not enough money


Not enough time


Not enough resources


Not enough foresight


Finally the time/money comes


Shoehorned onto the website


Hot tub awkwardly
attached to a house


Sparse Documentation


Ill maintained code


Lack of testing


Ticket response time is in the
weeks not days


It is a problem with management


APIs should be...


First-Class Citizens


Inconceivable?


Absolutely not!


2010 Mobile


2011 Tablets


There are few companies
that really get this


Opening up the API when
they release mobile clients


New trend for
startups


Start with an API
Not
a website.


Why do this?


Mashups!


Supply and Demand


There is a demand for APIs


Developers are the supply


Going First-Class?


Common architecture


Data


Data

Website


Data

MVC

Website


Data

MVC

API Website


Data

MVC MVC

API Website


RE Data

JE
MVC CT MVC

ED
API Website


Data

API Website


RE Data

JE
CT
MVC

ED
API Website


Upgrading the API
to First-Class


Data

API


Data

API

MVC

Website

Data

API

Mobile MVC

Website

Data

API

Mobile MVC 3rd Party

Website

Website as a client


Data

API

Mobile MVC 3rd Party

JavaScript Website

FRAPI
(getfrapi.com)


API First?


Ideally!


At least plan for it


Higher upfront cost but
lower in the long term


Any downsides!?


Of course!


Additional Overhead


OAuth/Security + Website


Eventually Consistent


The First version always sucks


Keep things internal if need be


Data

API

MVC
Internal

Website

The gain?


API becomes the core business


Single Codebase


Better Documentation


More extensive tests


Better response time on bugs


Consistency


The Story of
Twitter


This is just an example


I am not trying to be an
asshole to Twitter :-)


Started in 2006


Took oﬀ in 2007 at SXSW


20k 60k
tweets per day


200% Growth


There was no API


Developers asked for it


And of course it got bolted on


API was half cooked and
organically grew


They tried their best, but...


#NewTwitter in Oct 2010


Web client consuming it’s
own API.


More care was taken on the
API side


What if Facebook
did the same?


In conclusion


Treat the API as your core
business


Or at least plan it
from the start


Clients URL
Login
Shorteners

etc etc

Image
etc Analytics
Hosting


ApiGee & Mashery


Outsource the innovation of
UX to people who know
how to!


N
O
M
OR
E

Thanks for coming!

@h
helgi@orchestra.io

Joind.in: http://joind.in/3400

First-Class APIs, PHPTek 11, Chicago

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