API Developer Weekly – January 26, 2017 – Issue #146
A hand-curated weekly newsletter for API developers, published with permission from LaunchAny and CaseySoftware.
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Hot Topics
Introducing behavior-driven development (BDD) to test APIs with DHC by Restlet
In a previous blog post, we introduced the API testing support of DHC. We described the power of this tool to test REST services and web APIs by combining requests and assertions. During the summer, a new version of DHC was released extending this testing support by providing a new dedicated view. by Thierry Templier [restlet.com]
A few things to think about before blindly dumping REST for GraphQL
GraphQL is new. GraphQL is cool. Look! Github dumped REST for it! We MUST do it too! Well, why not. GraphQL could be a great tool, but like any tool, you don’t choose it just because. You choose it because it solves a problem in a given context. [apihandyman.io]
Automation Is the Key for Agile API Documentation
Documentation is often seen an albatross to an agile project management process built with rapid iterations, learning from customers, and pivoting. Yet, particularly with the API space, the most important thing that developers are considering is the documentation. by Jennifer Riggins [thenewstack.io]
What to expect in OpenAPI Specification Version 3
With the version 3.0 of the OpenAPI Specification nearing a beta candidate, this series of posts is meant to provide insight into what is changing and how from the perspective the Technical Developer Community (TDC). How is the OpenAPI Specification evolving? What’s the process? How can you get involved? [openapis.org]
The OpenAPI Specification Version 3.0 Highlights
I am impressed with the work that the Open API Initiative (OAI) working group has accomplished with the version 3.0 release of the OpenAPI Specification. I have had zero involvement in moving the specification forward (something I’m changing), and after coming back to the effort I am impressed with what they’ve prioritized, and accomplished for this release. [apievangelist.com]
Oracle Acquires Apiary. Here’s What API Teams Need to Know
Oracle has announced plans to acquire Apiary. This builds on the recent trend of vendor consolidation within the API space. Other prominent examples of this include Apigee’s acquisition by Google, and 3scale by Red Hat. This trend of API vendor consolidation is a strong indicator of the growing criticality of APIs as enablers of business growth and technical agility. by keshav vasudevan [swaggerhub.com]
What Is At Stake With API Definitions At The Moment
I wish I could help folks who view API definitions as yet another intellectual property see that there is more money to be made when these things are left open. [apievangelist.com]
Agile documentation for your API-driven project
“Documentation is like sex; when it’s good, it’s very, very good, and when it’s bad, it’s better than nothing.” - Dick Brandon The goal of this article is to inspire improved workflows for building and maintaining documentation for API-driven projects. In the end of the story, you will hopefully try out new approaches of documenting your code. by Kalin Chernev [restful.io]
Loss Of Primary and Foreign Keys Translating From Data Package to OpenAPI Spec
My explanation isn’t as coherent as I’d like, but this gives me a start. I’m trying to help database folks who are keepers of the backend, and the schema better understands that what I’m doing with OpenAPI Spec augments and evolves their work. [apievangelist.com]
Planet’s API-first vision for satellite imagery
We want to create a snapshot of the globe every single day. We call this Mission One and it’s what drives everyone at the company. We take images at a three to five meter resolution, so cars are full pixels and you can’t make out individual people. by Gordon Wintrob [getputpost.co]
The Problem with Secure User Authentication in WordPress
WordPress is a great tool for website developers. As of today, it powers over a quarter of the Internet, so clearly the team at WordPress is doing a few things right! With all the great features and support that WordPress provides, there are a couple problems that make secure user authentication in WordPress a challenge. Interesting read for APIs managing user authentication as well. [stormpath.com]
APIs Are Everywhere: Why?
There’s quite a lot of attention now on digital transformation, the growth engine of the new economy. Competing with pure digital businesses like Netflix, eBay, and Google over the last decade has caused businesses in every sector to extend their use of digital channels. by Domenic Ravita [tibco.com]
JSON API: A Summary
For the past several weeks I have been working on a project using Drupal 8 and it’s built in REST API. A coworker of mine suggested that we switch to using the JSON API as well/instead. I was reluctant at first until I saw how awesome JSON API is. [codekoalas.com]
API Digest #62: What Organizations Need to Know When Deprecating APIs
API2Cart continues the API Digest series, and in this issue, you will read a wrap-up of the following articles: What organizations need to know when deprecating APIs Amazon introduces Rekognition for image analysis A way to react to API failure Why APIs are important for business 7 Lessons Learned Building an API Startup Extracting value from data: the rise of Continue Reading [api2cart.com]
Upcoming Web API Events
A list of upcoming Web API Events, maintained by Matthew Reinbold
The Business of APIs
API adoption: Traditional industries lag
At the close of 2016, Gartner Research Director Mark O’Neill presented at both API Strategy and Practice (in Boston) and APIdays Global (in Paris) to share his insights into this year’s API trends. Top on his list was a discussion about how, while everyone talks about building APIs, the much larger impact of APIs is with their consumption. by Mark Boyd [networkworld.com]
First Time API Implementation for Entrepreneurs
Any business or organization in the world can bring an API to market, but APIs are increasingly synonymous with the startup world. by Chris Wood [nordicapis.com]
Lessons from Building Dev Communities Around Parking IoT APIs
Parking optimisation with sensors and APIs is one of the clearest use cases for industrial and smart city IoT implementation. There is a clear business opportunity : maximising revenue from car parking spaces. There is a clear asset that can be opened up via API: realtime availability on parking bay vacancy. by Mark Boyd [blog.hitchhq.com]
Cisco buys tech IPO candidate AppDynamics for $3.7 billion
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images So much for the first tech IPO of the year. Cisco just snapped up AppDynamics for $3.7 billion, one day before the software developer was scheduled to sell shares to the public at a valuation of less than $2 billion. by Ari Levy [cnbc.com]
(Un)Related Topics
Not Ready for Microservices? Evolutions and Alternatives – OpenShift Blog
Why did the chicken cross the road? As the old saying goes, to get the other side. Why did the company move to microservices? That answer isn’t nearly as simple. While the buzz around microservices continues to grow, it can be valuable to look at various paths that companies take to achieve their ultimate goals of delivering software faster and with higher overall quality. by Brian Gracely [blog.openshift.com]
Serverless Computing Heats Up as Pivotal Software Takes on Cloud Giants
Pivotal Software Inc., part of the privately-held tech giant that emerged from Dell Inc.’s acquisition of EMC Corp., plans to compete with Amazon Inc.’s Amazon Web Services and other major cloud providers in the next evolution of cloud computing. In this new era, physical and virtual servers that are traditionally used to run certain applications […] by Sara Castellanos [blogs.wsj.com]
How many threads can run on a GPU? – StreamComputing
A: at a minimum around 4 billion can be scheduled, 10’s of thousands can run simultaneously. NOTE: The below description is a (very) simplified model with the purpose to explain the basics. It is far from complete, as it would take a full book-chapter to explain it all. by Vincent Hindriksen [streamcomputing.eu]
Master-Master Replication and Scaling of an Application between Each of the IoT Devices and the Cloud
Monday, January 23, 2017 at 8:56AM In this article, I want to share with you how I solved a very interesting problem of synchronizing data between IoT devices and a cloud application. I’ll start by outlining the general idea and the goals of my project. Then I’ll describe my implementation in greater detail. [highscalability.com]
Introducing the AWS IoT Button Enterprise Program
Businesses would design and build their IoT solution with the button devices and creation of device companion applications. The AWS IoT Button Enterprise Program provides businesses some complimentary assistance directly from AWS to ensure a successful deployment. The deployed devices then would only need to be configured with Wi-Fi at user locations in order to function. [aws.amazon.com]
Sleep Mode: The Art of the Screensaver
Sleep Mode: The Art of the Screensaver is an exhibition curated by Rafaël Rozendaal at Rotterdam’s Het Nieuwe Instituut from January 27 until June 25. I think this is awesome, because screen savers don’t get the respect that they deserve. There are some from XScreenSaver in there but I’m not sure exactly which. [jwz.org]
Want to share something?
As always, if you want to chat, share a link, or make a suggestion, feel free to drop us a quick note using Twitter (@launchany and @caseysoftware) or by emailing us at: james@launchany.com.]