An API was originally just a defined interface for one local application to talk to another, illustrated with a simple PHP function.
As computers became networked, Remote Procedure Calls (RPC) emerged as a way to execute code on a remote server, with JSON-RPC as a key example.
The Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) was created for enterprise needs but introduced significant complexity with its verbose XML-based format.
Representational State Transfer (REST) simplified API design by leveraging the existing HTTP protocol, using verbs like GET, POST, and DELETE to manage resources.
Without clear standards, REST APIs can be implemented incorrectly, leading to security vulnerabilities and unpredictable behavior as seen with HATEOAS and real-world examples.
The OpenAPI specification (formerly Swagger) provides a standardized way to define REST APIs, enabling auto-generation of documentation, client code, and tests.
GraphQL was developed to solve the problem of over-fetching or under-fetching data by allowing clients to request exactly the data they need in a single call.
Modern tools like HTMX and Laravel Livewire are returning to sending HTML over the wire, echoing older web development patterns and showing the cyclical nature of technology.
The history of APIs demonstrates a repeating cycle of innovation, standardization, complexity, and simplification, urging developers to learn from the past.
28:49Nicolas Fränkel
20:29Simon Auer
27:17Bastian Eicher
27:25Rustam Mehmandarov
29:13Alex Walling
23:47Pratim Bhosale
25:30Lorenzo Pieri
29:30Yousaf Nabi
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