API Design Patterns

Book excerpt: "A concept-rich book on API design patterns. Deeply engrossing and fun to read." - Satej Sahu, Honeywell API Design Patterns lays out a set of design principles for building internal and public-facing APIs. In API Design Patterns you will learn: Guiding principles for API patterns Fundamentals of resource layout and naming Handling data types for any programming language Standard methods that ensure predictability Field masks for targeted partial updates Authentication and validation methods for secure APIs Collective operations for moving, managing, and deleting data Advanced patterns for special interactions and data transformations API Design Patterns reveals best practices for building stable, user-friendly APIs. These design patterns can be applied to solve common API problems and flexibly altered to fit specific needs. Hands-on examples and relevant cases illustrate patterns for API fundamentals, advanced functionalities, and uncommon scenarios. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the technology APIs are contracts that define how applications, services, and components communicate. API design patterns provide a shared set of best practices, specifications and standards that ensure APIs are reliable and simple for other developers. This book collects and explains the most important patterns from both the API design community and the experts at Google. About the book API Design Patterns lays out a set of principles for building internal and public-facing APIs. Google API expert JJ Geewax presents patterns that ensure your APIs are consistent, scalable, and flexible. You’ll improve the design of the most common APIs, plus discover techniques for tricky edge cases. Precise illustrations, relevant examples, and detailed scenarios make every pattern clear and easy to understand. What's inside Guiding principles for API patterns Fundamentals of resource layout and naming Advanced patterns for special interactions and data transformations A detailed case-study on building an API and adding features About the reader For developers building web and internal APIs in any language. About the author JJ Geewax is a software engineer at Google, focusing on Google Cloud Platform, API design, and real-time payment systems. He is also the author of Manning’s Google Cloud Platform in Action. Table of Contents PART 1 INTRODUCTION 1 Introduction to APIs 2 Introduction to API design patterns PART 2 DESIGN PRINCIPLES 3 Naming 4 Resource scope and hierarchy 5 Data types and defaults PART 3 FUNDAMENTALS 6 Resource identification 7 Standard methods 8 Partial updates and retrievals 9 Custom methods 10 Long-running operations 11 Rerunnable jobs PART 4 RESOURCE RELATIONSHIPS 12 Singleton sub-resources 13 Cross references 14 Association resources 15 Add and remove custom methods 16 Polymorphism PART 5 COLLECTIVE OPERATIONS 17 Copy and move 18 Batch operations 19 Criteria-based deletion 20 Anonymous writes 21 Pagination 22 Filtering 23 Importing and exporting PART 6 SAFETY AND SECURITY 24 Versioning and compatibility 25 Soft deletion 26 Request deduplication 27 Request validation 28 Resource revisions 29 Request retrial 30 Request authentication