We all know there are thousands of APIs we could use, so how do you decide whether to take the time to integrate with one? API veteran Adam DuVander takes you through the areas you should consider, questions you should ask, and some tests you could run. All before writing a single line of code for your application.

1. HOW TO EVALUATE AN API!
(without writing a line of code)
Adam DuVander @adamd :!
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Ultimate Developer Event 2014

2. Your Typical Developer
Claire Thompson

3. Claire Thompson

4. Felipe Venâncio

5. Ray Devlin

6. Ray Devlin

7. API Sniff Test
D
Documentation

8. API Survey

9. API Sniff Test
D
Documentation

10. API Sniff Test
D
Documentation
C
Client Libraries

11. API Sniff Test
D
Documentation
C
Client Libraries
B
Blog Posts

12. API Sniff Test
D
Documentation
C
Client Libraries
B
Blog Posts
A
About Page

13. Ray Devlin

14. Areas for Full Evaluation
Control
Reliability
Security
Longevity

15. Infrastructure APIs

16. Content APIs

17. Application APIs

18. CONTROL

19. Can We Build It?
Em Tom Hughes-Croucher
Yes We Can! But do we need to?

20. Can We Touch It?
Dave Lawler

21. Their Biggest Competitors
API C1 C2 C3

22. Their Biggest Competitors
API C1 C2 C3
C0

23. Look for Standards/Conventions

24. Lucene Query Syntax
(apis OR api) AND nordic
topic:apis AND country:sweden
days:[1 TO 3]

25. Client Library Abstractions
db.get('collection', 'key')
db.put('collection', 'key', { “data”: “goes here” })

26. Client Library Abstractions
db.get('collection', 'key')
db.put('collection', 'key', { “data”: “goes here” })

27. Data Export

28. Data Export
your data in
your data out

29. Bulk Downloads

30. Bulk Downloads

31. RELIABILITY

33. Twitter’s SXSW Downtime

34. API Survey

35. What Downtime?

36. Goals of a Status Page
Be Transparent
Be Helpful
Be Proactive

37. Provides Status Updates

38. Shows Current API Health

39. Shows Current API Health

40. Shows Current API Health

41. Shows Recent Issues and Downtime

42. Shows Recent Issues and Downtime

44. SECURITY

45. Their Systems
Scott Schiller

46. James Stewart

47. Security Standards
Eran Sandler

48. Privacy

49. Process for Data Access
Thomas Guest

50. Shares Best Practices

51. Data Ownership

52. LONGEVITY

53. LaptopMag

54. LaptopMag

56. API Business Models
John Musser — bit.ly/apibizmodels

57. 33+ Dead GoogleAPIs

61. “If longevity comes up short,
fall back on control.”
– @adamd at Ultimate Developer Event

62. PERSONALITY
** BONUS **

63. Ray Devlin

64. Felipe Venâncio

65. 4+ Ways to Evaluate an API
Control: Look for as much as possible
Reliability: Transparent, proactive, helpful
Security: Systems, processes, best practices
Longevity: Does the biz model make sense?
Personality: Let me show you mine @adamd