API Design at Eventbrite

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API Design at Andrew Godwin @andrewgodwin

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The Problem

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Two existing APIs: APIv1 at least 6 years old APIv2 never finished and now too specialised

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Outdated: No provision for new features Some interfaces locked down to old ideas (e.g. payment)

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Bad patterns: Same domain as main site /xml/?method=access_code_new Both XML and JSON as return formats, transformed from each other.

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The Task Build a new API for the modern era

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SOA Match it as closely as possible

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Event service Venue service Order service Payment service SOA Client

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Event service Venue service Order service Payment service SOA Client APIv3 API Client

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Future-proof Allow for more features easily

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Maintainable Make sure it's easier to extend than start again

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The Basis

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The Basis Django REST Framework

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The Basis Django REST Framework Custom SOA/API coupling

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The Basis Django REST Framework Custom SOA/API coupling Piecemeal refactors of current code

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The Basis Django REST Framework Custom SOA/API coupling Piecemeal refactors of current code APIv1 as initial target to start deprecation

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Design Principles

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JSON only Mapping XML ←→ JSON rarely works well

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REST (ish) Sensible paths, sensible verbs

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/events/ /events/39992/ /events/39992/orders/ /events/39992/publish/ /users/me/owned_events/ POST: New event GET: Event details POST: Update event GET: List of orders /events/39992/orders/12392/ GET: Order details POST: Publish event GET: List of your events DELETE: Delete event

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Every response is {} Leaves room for new features/pagination

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Pagination everywhere And standardised, so there's no surprises

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Introspectable parameters For our documentation and API explorer

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Always more to do Documentation, consistency, and new features

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Try it today! http://developer.eventbrite.com

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Thanks. @andrewgodwin [email protected]