Net API Notes for 2019/04/24
The Washington, DC metro area has been enjoying some fantastic spring weather. However, tiptoeing through the Tulips hasn't stopped me from scouring the web for the latest, greatest Net API notes to share. This week, we're going beyond the typical HTTP and focusing on a handful of more exotic approaches.
While you may not have an immediate pressing need, it is crucial to make sure we have a full stock of what's in the toolbox. Onto the notes!
Notes
Getting Started with Event-Driven Architectures
Fran Méndez, he of AsyncAPI fame, has a new piece available entitled "Getting Started with Event-Driven Architectures". It is a solid introduction to when event-driven interactions make sense. I also appreciate the sidebar where Fran clarifies the difference between "message-driven" and "event-driven". The distinction between commands and events is an important distinction.
A Webhooks Example
Webhooks, also called callbacks or subscriptions, don't get enough love. They are a beautiful, incremental step for API shops that want to take the next step toward real-time action. Nicolas Grenié, writing on the Typeform blog, illustrates how webhooks can create better developer experiences in a piece called "[Typeform Webhooks Just Got Better(https://medium.com/typeforms-engineering-blog/typeform-webhooks-just-got-better-4bb716edf59a)".
Nicolas discusses how the system evolved, the developer experience needs driving the decision, and how they approached security.
Websockets vs REST
I'm typically wary of "verses" type of articles. Usually, what happens is the author sets up straw men arguments for one side. They then burn each with rhetorical fireworks, leaving the result they have a stake in seeing succeed.
That's not so much the case with Kumar Chandrakant's "Websockets vs REST". It provides not only a great introduction to what websockets are and how they work. Kumar is also honest about real challenges to adoption, like the lack of a message protocol specification. His recommendation of STOMP, along with guidance on when each approach makes sense, is excellent insight worth spreading.
Milestones
- There's a piece on The Information on how Airbnb is adopting a services orientated architecture, modeled after Amazon, to grain greater marketplace agility (an email, any email, is required to read the entire article). It is a good example of how APIs relate to a company's strategic thinking.
- OpenOAS 3.0 now has an official JSON schema. I'll be excited to see how this is picked up by various community tools (linters, editors, etc.).
- A new product, HTTP Toolkit, has launched. If you miss the late, great Runscope, give this a try. I'd be curious to hear what your thoughts are.
- The 20th Edition of ThoughtWorks Technology Radar is released! As before, the findings are rounded up into significant themes. This time "Leaking Encapsulation Boundaries" is called out. So while the team highlights how the 'modern stack' ends up with business logic sprinkled in less-than-ideal places, I think the sentiment resonates with API designers, as well.
Wrapping Up
There are lots of exciting additions to Webapi.events this past week. One of the things that makes the Net API community great is its community. Give one of these in-person events a try. And if something is missing just let me know; I'd be happy to add to it.
I'll end by saying thank you to my Patreon sponsors. I appreciate you, and I'm currently working on a special something-something to return your graciousness.
Till then, Matthew
@libel_vox and https://matthewreinbold.com