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INTERFACE by apidays 2023 - Developers' take on...

INTERFACE by apidays 2023 - Developers' take on what makes up a high-quality API, Konstantinos Korakitis, SlashData

INTERFACE by apidays 2023
APIs for a “Smart” economy. Embedding AI to deliver Smart APIs and turn into an exponential organization
June 28 & 29, 2023

Developers' take on what makes up a high-quality API
Konstantinos Korakitis, Director of Research at SlashData

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July 11, 2023
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  1. 2 DEVELOPERS’ TAKE ON WHAT MAKES UP A HIGH-QUALITY API

    Our agenda for today’s talks 1. How has the adoption of APIs evolved over time? 2. What are the main characteristics of a high-quality API (from a developer’s perspective)? 3. Which factors are more likely to affect developers’ perceptions on API quality?
  2. 3 DEVELOPERS’ TAKE ON WHAT MAKES UP A HIGH-QUALITY API

    1. Evolution of API adoption over time 67% 70% 74% Q1 2021 Q1 2022 Q1 2023 % of developers using 3rd-party APIs • Another 15% use only private/internal APIs • The adoption of 3rd-party API surges to 84% among early career professional (3-5 years of experience) Consumption of 3rd-party APIs by software developers is growing steadily % of developers (Q1 2021 n=15,922 | Q1 2022 n=17,643 | Q1 2023 n=22,697) Source: Developer Nation Q1 2023 | www.slashdata.co | Copyright SlashData – All rights reserved
  3. 4 DEVELOPERS’ TAKE ON WHAT MAKES UP A HIGH-QUALITY API

    2. Main characteristics of a high-quality API Security is top of mind for developers when they evaluate APIs % of developers using 3rd-party APIs (Q1 2023 n=16,831) • On average, developers report ~4 characteristics that make up a high-quality API • Among those who report a single attribute, security is by far the most important aspect (15%) 42% 39% 38% 37% 36% 27% 23% 23% 21% 21% 21% 18% 16% 15% 15% Security Documentation and sample code Reliability Ease of use Performance Technical support Open source Supported programming languages Following a well-established architectural style Integration with other systems Scalability Consistency across endpoints Community Standardised error handling Portability (between environments) Source: Developer Nation Q1 2023 | www.slashdata.co | Copyright SlashData – All rights reserved
  4. 5 DEVELOPERS’ TAKE ON WHAT MAKES UP A HIGH-QUALITY API

    2. Main characteristics of a high-quality API Nearly all developers agree that design choices lead to successful APIs % of developers using 3rd-party APIs (Q1 2023 n=16,831) 42% 39% 38% 37% 36% 27% 23% 23% 21% 21% 21% 18% 16% Security Documentation and sample code Reliability Ease of use Performance Technical support Open source Supported programming languages Following a well-established architectural style Integration with other systems Scalability Consistency across endpoints Community Design-related characteristics Non-technical characteristics • Nearly all developers (96%) think that design choices result in high-quality APIs • However, non-technical decisions (documentation etc.) are very important too (acc. to 78% of developers) Source: Developer Nation Q1 2023 | www.slashdata.co | Copyright SlashData – All rights reserved
  5. 6 DEVELOPERS’ TAKE ON WHAT MAKES UP A HIGH-QUALITY API

    3. What affects developers’ perceptions on API quality Broad consensus among developers on what contributes to API quality % of developers using 3rd-party APIs (Q1 2023 n=16,831) • In general, there are no significant differences in how developers perceive API quality based on factors like: o Types of projects they work on o Categories of 3rd-party APIs they use o Their role o The size of the company they work for o They way they find information about software development and stay up to date o They way they consume content o etc.
  6. 7 DEVELOPERS’ TAKE ON WHAT MAKES UP A HIGH-QUALITY API

    3. What affects developers’ perceptions on API quality Developer’s appreciation of API documentation & sample code increases steeply with coding experience % of developers who use 3rd-party APIs by years of experience in software development (Q1 2023 n=16,831) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% < 1 year 1-2 years 3-5 years 6-10 years 11-15 years 16+ years % of developers who value each API characteristic by their level of experience in software development Documentation & sample code Reliability Following a well- established architectural style Community Portability Source: Developer Nation Q1 2023 | www.slashdata.co | Copyright SlashData – All rights reserved
  7. 8 DEVELOPERS’ TAKE ON WHAT MAKES UP A HIGH-QUALITY API

    3. What affects developers’ perceptions on API quality Documentation accuracy and specific example matter a lot to empierced developers; beginners care way more about translations, offline availability and community contributions % of developers who use 3rd-party APIs by their level of coding experience (Q1 2023 n=7,867) 28% 33% 33% 26% 21% 19% 23% 62% 57% 48% 37% 11% 11% 7% 41% 43% 39% 32% 18% 16% 16% Contains examples Accurate and up to date Well written (clear, concise, unbiased) Searchable (on site or via Google) Available offline (as a download or on paper) Community contributions (e.g. wiki) Translated into your language Perceived characteristics of great documentation by coding experience Beginners (up to 2 years of coding experience) Seasoned developers (11+ years of coding experience) All API users Source: Developer Nation Q1 2023 | www.slashdata.co | Copyright SlashData – All rights reserved
  8. 9 DEVELOPERS’ TAKE ON WHAT MAKES UP A HIGH-QUALITY API

    3. What affects developers’ perceptions on API quality Developers in Europe and Oceania value API security and documentation way more than others % of developers who use 3rd-party APIs by region (Q1 2023 n=16,831) 31% 22% 17% 16% 18% 13% 30% 21% 25% Western Europe North America Middle East & Africa South Asia Greater China area East Asia excl. Greater China Eastern Europe South America Oceania % of developers who value each API characteristic by region Security Documentation and sample code Reliability Following a well-established architectural style Source: Developer Nation Q1 2023 | www.slashdata.co | Copyright SlashData – All rights reserved
  9. 10 DEVELOPERS’ TAKE ON WHAT MAKES UP A HIGH-QUALITY API

    3. What affects developers’ perceptions on API quality Those who use no-code / low-code tools have higher expectations for API technical support than those who don’t % of developers who use 3rd-party APIs (Q1 2023 n=15,883) 58% 45% 30% 22% 13% 12% 28% 32% 17% 30% 18% 17% 40% 37% 22% 27% 16% 15% Documentation and sample code Ease of use Following a well-established architectural style Technical support Community Portability (between environments) % of developers who value each API characteristic by whether they use no-code / low- code tools or not Not using NC/LC tools Using NC/LC tools All API users Source: Developer Nation Q1 2023 | www.slashdata.co | Copyright SlashData – All rights reserved