Dear Frustrated,
I understand your frustration and I have some good news and bad news.
Bad News First (First joke!)
- Stick around another 5-10 years and there will be plenty more firsts to add to your collection!
- Definitions of these Firsts can vary from expert to expert.
- You cannot just pick a single first and run with it. No first is an island. You will probably end up using a lot of these…
Good News
While there are a lot of different “first” methodologies out there, some are very similar and have just matured just as our technology stack has.
Here is the first stack I recommend looking at when you are starting a new project:
1. Design-First (Big Picture)
Know the high-level, big-picture view of what you are building. Define the problem you are solving and the requirements to solve it. Are you going to need a Mobile app? Website? Something else?
Have the foresight to realize that whatever you think you will need, it will change in the future. I am not saying design for every possible outcome but use wisdom and listen to your experts.
2. API First
API First means you think of APIs as being in the center of your little universe. APIs run the world and they are the core to every (well, almost every) technical product you put on a user’s phone, computer, watch, tv, etc. If you break this first, you will find yourself in a world of hurt.
Part of this First is the knowledge that you better focus on your API first, before you start looking at your web page, mobile app, etc. If you try to build your mobile app first and then go back and try to create an API that matches the particular needs of that one app, the above world of hurt applies.
Not only this but having a working API will make design/implementation of your mobile app or website MUCH easier!
Another important point to remember. There will most likely be another client that needs what this API is handing out so take that into consideration as well.
3. API Design First and Code-First
I’ve grouped these next two together. Now I know I am going to take a lot of flak for this but hear me out.
Code-First
I agree that you should always design your API first and not just dig into building it, However, code is a legitimate design tool, in the right hands. Not everyone wants to use some WYSIWYG tool that may or may not take add eons to your learning curve and timetable. Good Architects (and I mean GOOD!) can design out an API in a fraction of the time it takes to use some API design tools. I am NOT saying everyone should do this but don’t rule out Code-First because it has the word “Code” in it.
You have to know where to stop though.
Designing your API with code means you are doing design-only. You still have to work with the technical and non-technical members of your team to ensure that your API solves your business problem and is the best solution. If you can’t translate your code-design into some visual format that everyone can see and understand, DON’T use code.
#devops #integration #code first #design first #api first #api
