How to Design a Good API and Why it Matters
📜 Abstract
This talk centers on a number of issues that arise in designing good APIs, drawing from the presenter’s experience designing the Java Collections Framework and several other Java platform APIs. It discusses API design principles: traits of good APIs, and shows examples of what to do and what not to do.
✨ Summary
The paper titled “How to Design a Good API and Why it Matters” by Joshua Bloch was presented in March 2005. It discusses the principles of good API design drawing from Bloch’s experience with the Java Collections Framework and several Java platform APIs. The primary focus is on traits that define effective APIs and includes examples illustrating both effective and poor design practices. Key takeaways include the significance of intuitive, easy-to-use APIs that promote user satisfaction and robust software development.
A web search reveals that this presentation has been influential in the field of software engineering, particularly in API and interface design. Bloch’s principles have been widely adopted and referenced, as seen in documents such as Effective Java, where API design choices are explored further (https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/effective-java/9780134686097/). Bloch’s guidelines are frequently cited in discussions and literature related to high-quality software API design and maintenance. The impact is observable in several online forums and articles that focus on coding best practices and API usability, establishing this paper as a foundational document in the API design discourse.