Software Engineering Radio - the podcast for professional software developers SE Radio 679: Wesley Beary on API Design
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Jul 29, 2025 Wesley Beary, Co-founder of Anchor and a seasoned expert from Salesforce and Heroku, shares valuable insights on API design. He emphasizes the role of user experience, defining what it means to be an "API connoisseur." The discussion addresses challenges like crafting effective abstractions, the necessity of user feedback, and the importance of clear documentation. Wesley also explores the complexities of CLI versus web APIs, promoting client-first approaches to enhance development workflows, while advocating for secure and user-friendly tools.
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Iterative Approach to API Design
- Use agile, iterative development for API design to catch mistakes early.
- Prototype quickly and get hands-on experience to refine your API before full implementation.
Domain Filtering API Anecdote
- Wesley made a mistake assuming an array of domains was enough for API needs.
- He learned to include both type and value for flexibility with domain and IP filtering.
Avoid Being Too Close to Problem
- Being too close to your domain can blind you to users' lack of context.
- Design APIs for ease of use and learning, not just technical completeness.