getting developers hooked on your api - nicolas garnier - codemotion amsterdam 2016

Getting Developers hooked on your API

@nico_g

Nicolas Garnierself-taught developer@nico_g

@nico_g

@nico_g

~15,000 APIs(ProgrammableWeb)

@nico_g

A great product sells itself

@nico_g

You’re not the only one

People don’t know about you

Your onboarding is crappy

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One thing in common

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US!One thing in common

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Developer Experience

code application

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code application

Developer Experience

UX

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code application

Developer Experience

DX

Developer Experience matters

Journey to developer Adoption

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Simplicity

What are we looking for as users?

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Is it easy to use?

GET /res

ourceH2B

?vo=true

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Is it easy to understand?

Error 1543bis

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Is it adapted to my audience?

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SOAPREST

Hypermedia

GraphQL FalcorJS

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What really matters is

affordance & consistency

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Affordance

/pets/$ID

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Affordance

GET /pets/$ID

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Consistency

POST /foods

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API designers != end users

API

What devs expect

@nico_gBeginner Expert

How does it work?

Performance design

PerformanceMany languages

API reference

CommunitySimplicty

Quickstart

Support

Wow effect Examples

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timed

ifficulty

supportdev

Bad DX

First impression matters

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Documentation

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Documenting your API iseasy

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Swagger.ioTop-down

1. Create a Swagger definition of your API

2. Generate Server implementation

1. You already have a REST API

2. Generate the Swagger definition

Bottom-up

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@nico_g

READING DOCS

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LOL

⌘C + ⌘V@nico_g

PRAG-MA-TISM

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Don’t forget anyone

Code snippets

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Don’t forget anyone

Code snippets User guides

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@nico_g

Don’t reinvent the wheel

apiary

readme.io

slate

Don’t reinvent the wheel

@nico_g

Don’t forget anyone

Code snippets User guides Sample app

while (true) {repeat();

}

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@nico_g

{ }

js-doc.md php-doc.md go-doc.md

</>

metadata

code generator

templates

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{

"description" : "This call sends an email.",

"resource" : "send",

"action" : "POST",

"args" : [

…}

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{{#filtersExist}}$filters = [{{#filters}} '{{name}}' => '{{value}}'{{#comma}},{{/comma}}{{/filters}}];{{/filtersExists}}

{{#argumentsExist}}$body = {{{body}}};{{/argumentsExist}}

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{ "Count": 1, "Data": [ { {{#args}} "{{name}}":"{{value}}"{{#comma}},{{/comma}} {{/args}} } ], "Total": 1}

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Paw-some!

@nico_g

@nico_g

Developer Advocate

@nico_g

Connect with devs and help them make the most of your APIs

Share knowledge at conferences, meetups & hackathons

Design and provide sample code for developers to make their use of the API easy

work on fun projects to show what your API is capable of

@nico_g

Questions?ngarnier@mailjet.com

@nico_g

Thanks.ngarnier@mailjet.com