I have to agree with Alex -- Ruby and Richardson's book *Restful Web
Services* (RWS for short)  is well-worth reading if you are setting out
to create a "good" web service API.   I'm working through the book
myself right now and would love to discuss the book here if there is any
interest.

For example, to the point that we should refrain from the notion of an
API.  I'm trying to understand how far we can really fold the human user
interface and the machine machine interface into one -- instead of
having the UI and the API as fairly distinct things.  I've not had a
chance to actually try for myself the extended examples given in the
book of a social bookmarking system.  Does the example provide for both
the human and machine interfaces all in one?

-Raymond

Alexander Johannesen wrote:
> On 6/30/07, Eric Lease Morgan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> What are the characteristics of a "good" Web Service API?
>
> That you refrain from the notion of an API. :)
>
> Seriously, before you do anything, read the book "Restful WebServices"
> by Sam Ruby and Leonard Richardson
> (http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596529260/). I'd do it the ROA way
> (and have for some time; resource oriented architecture), but I do
> understand it puts certain strain on the areas of the brain
> responsible for learning conceptually new things.
>
>
> Alex
> --
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Project Wrangler, SOA, Information Alchymist, UX, RESTafarian, Topic Maps
> ------------------------------------------ http://shelter.nu/blog/
> --------


--
--
Raymond Yee, Ph.D.                      102 South Hall
Visiting Scholar                        UC Berkeley
School of Information                   Berkeley, CA 94720-4600
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