Presentation: "RESTful-Enough: How to cope with the real world and still make sure your Public API doesn't suck"
Track:
Programmable Web
Time: Wednesday 11:40 - 12:30
Location: Seacliff AB
Abstract:
SoundCloud is the biggest repository of audio content on the web, with ore than 30 million users. Since our inception we had a HTTP API available for 3rd party developers to integrate with the platform.
Over time we had all kinds of integrations, from hobbyists building quick hacks to professional DJ tools and Apple's GarageBand. We quickly
learnt that public APIs are a different beast from internal web services, and here usability is king. To better support all these use cases, we had
to compromise on some of the core REST principles, including less focus on hypermedia and welcoming URI templates.
In this talk let's explore the good and bad technical decisions we've made, how we've implemented continuous delivery --deploying changes to
the API twice a day-- without breaking our thousands of clients, and the impacts of the public API experience on our own internal services.
Over time we had all kinds of integrations, from hobbyists building quick hacks to professional DJ tools and Apple's GarageBand. We quickly
learnt that public APIs are a different beast from internal web services, and here usability is king. To better support all these use cases, we had
to compromise on some of the core REST principles, including less focus on hypermedia and welcoming URI templates.
In this talk let's explore the good and bad technical decisions we've made, how we've implemented continuous delivery --deploying changes to
the API twice a day-- without breaking our thousands of clients, and the impacts of the public API experience on our own internal services.
