Types of API Versioning The greatest challenge to exposing services is how to handle updates to API contract. Clients may not be ready to update their apps when the API changes, and this is where a versioning strategy becomes vitally essential. Different companies can version their API’s using...
If you want to start a debate among API technologists, just ask them to share their thoughts on "API versioning". It's a sure bet you'll uncover some strong feelings in short order. The term "API versioning" has become synonymous with "changing the API" and that is the first hurdle t...
API monitoring is the process of collecting and analyzing data about the performance of an API to identify problems that impact users. If an application is running slowly, you need to first understand the cause before you can correct it. Modern applications use many independent microservices instead...
Document the API.Create comprehensive documentation that is easy to understand. Include detailed descriptions of each endpoint, example requests and responses, error codes, and usage guidelines. Good documentation is crucial for helping developers understand and effectively use your API. Versioning.Implement...
Why API design matters Good API design is critical for successful API use.Software architects spend considerable time reviewingall the possible applications of an API and the most logical way for it to be used. Thedata structuresand parameter values are of particular importance, as they must match...
APIs evolve over time, andAPI versioningis therefore crucial to keeping track of this. It’s important to align all versions to your governance model and guardrails. Governance can also help determine if a change is backward compatible or not, so it may be possible to enforce major version ch...
For instance, if a team discovers a security flaw in v1 of an API, they can fix it in v2. And with versioning, security teams can encourage users to migrate from v1 to v2 at their own pace, while making it clear in the version documentation that v1 has a known security vulnerabilit...
API sprawl is a looming threatto the success of your API program. It can lead to duplication, higher security risks, and reduced API adoption and reuse. These are serious concerns, and an API catalog can help. AnAPI catalogis a centralized, searchable repository of all the APIs in your ec...
Why API testing is important A basic concept in automated testing is a test pyramid. It demonstrates how to tackle automated testing for a project: what parts to test first as they form the base of the pyramid, and what to leave for the final stages - the pyramid’s tip. ...
API governance is the broader concept that encompasses the policies and processes for managing APIs, while API management is the implementation of those policies and processes using dedicated tools and platforms. Essentially, you can look at it as API governance setting the guidelines, while API mana...