The Design of Web APIs

5 Designing a straightforward API

This chapter covers

• Crafting straightforward representations of concepts
• Identifying relevant error and success feedback
• Designing efficient usage flows

Now that you have learned to design APIs that actually let consumers achieve their goals, you have a solid foundation in API design. Unfortunately, only relying on the basics does not mean that consumers will actually be able to use the “APIs that do the job.” Remember the UDRC 1138 shown in figure 5.1? It is possible to design a terrible interface that does the job.

Figure 5.1 A terrible interface that does the job

When faced with an unfamiliar everyday object, ...