Dear API,
I choose to call you by your nickname since you full name, Application Programming Interface, is quite a mouthful. Before yesterday, I deemed us good friends since we have interacted before. On a very basic level though. Somehow, I forgot about you. I knew we’d interact soon but not this soon. So yes, I forgot about you. Till yesterday night when you reappeared.
Your presence sent me digging for information about you. Some that I remembered and others, well, I had to stalk you online and see what people said about you. At least this would take away the awkwardness between us. API dear, I’m about to list a number of things about you that stand out for me. Correct me if I’m wrong.
1. Just from your name (Interface), you adore interaction. You make it possible for a piece of software to interact with another piece of software. Your existence has enabled me to stalk my people’s tweets on twitter through Tweetdeck app.
2. Through you, I can filter down to exactly what I need during our interaction. I do not have to pull down a whole set of data and start scheming through. And did I mention you’re a quick while at it? Unless of course if thousands of people like me are using a common app at the same time.
3. To get to you we have to make requests. I’ll mention my favorite so far:
GET request: Just from the name, this particular request enables me to retrieve data/information from my target source through you.
4. Since you tend to be very organized, you demand that my URL request should have a format containing a version, resource and output type. Like this:
https://disqus.com/api/{version}/{resource}.{output_type}
Version: This is to specify which Version of you, API, that I’d like to engage. Currently, you are available in one version, 3.0 as of now. I must say, you are difficult person to find my friend.
Resource: Represents resource path
Output type: Represents data format like JSON.
I know we will catch up more soon. For now, I have to get back to stalking you more in order to understand your complicated self.
With love,
Ninah.
