Chapter 12: Producing Web APIs

Overview

In this chapter, the focus flips from using an API presented by another group to creating one of your own. Creating an API isn't a terribly complicated process; frameworks like NuSOAP handle all the difficult XML processing and generation for you. There are, however, numerous considerations that should be examined before starting a new API project. This chapter covers the following:

• Planning your API

• Enabling authentication and encryption

• Deciding between REST and SOAP

• Working with your community of developers

• Performance considerations

• Error handling

Additionally, the end of this chapter provides two complete examples, one using REST and the other using SOAP.