"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.

Foreword by Jon Skeet.

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