Chapter 12 Modifying APIs

Design and Build Great Web APIs — by Mike Amundsen (87 / 127)

👈 Chapter Exercise | TOC | Going Beyond Versioning 👉

Things seems to be at a happy end. We’ve designed, built, and deployed our API into production and, thanks to a solid and well-executed design experience and a solid build process, our API is not languishing on some list of available services; it has active signups and is frequently used. That’s great! However, now that the API is in heavy rotation in several parts of our fictional company, BigCo, Inc., a new problem has emerged.

We’re getting requests for added features.

One of the challenges of a successful API is that people start thinking of new and creative ways to use it. And that almost always results in requests for modifications. Modifying the API is actually an important part of the overall lifecycle. In fact, the longest portion of an API’s life is spent in production. And the longer an API is in use, the more likely it is you’ll be asked to change it in some way.

In this chapter, we’ll explore the key steps to successfully implementing changes to your APIs after they’re released into production. Not surprisingly, these are the same steps we employed when creating the original APIs. First, model and design the requested changes and produce a machine-readable ALPS document. Second, employ the sketch, prototype, and build process to explore, confirm, and ultimately build your updated API. Last, use…