Require that every property in an API contract declares an explicit, well-chosen data type with the right format, precision, and constraints instead of leaning on loose strings and hopeful parsing. Every API must be precise about whether a value is an integer, a date-time, a decimal, an enum, or something else, because that precision is what makes the data trustworthy on the other end. I have debugged too many integrations that broke on an ambiguous number or a date that everyone interpreted differently. Getting data types right up front is how we make APIs interoperable, consistent, and safe to validate automatically across every consumer that touches them.
Data Types (Design)
Strategies
APIs Are Interoperable Across Systems
All APIs must prioritize interoperability by using standard media types, hypermedia link relations, and well-known specifications, enabling consumers to integrate multiple APIs together and reducin...
APIs Follow Consistent Design Patterns
All APIs must follow consistent design patterns for naming conventions, media types, pagination, filtering, sorting, and error handling, ensuring that consumers can learn patterns once and apply th...
Data Should Be Well-Defined and Validated
The schema for data that is sent and received via API should always be well-defined, possess a well-known shape, and always be validated, ensuring that digital resources and capabilities are what t...
Experiences
Interoperability
Interoperability is the experience of APIs, systems, and data working together without heroic effort. It is built on shared standards, common schema, and predictable contracts that let one system t...
Consistency
Achieving consistency in the design, delivery, and maintenance of HTTP APIs across an enterprise is a significant challenge—one that often complicates API operations. Small differences, such as var...
Quality
The quality of HTTP APIs powering an enterprise tends to decline as the number of ungoverned APIs grows across internal, partner, and public landscapes. Low-quality APIs lead to poor downstream exp...
Lifecycle
design_services Design Design
Design is where the human experience of an API is won or lost. I work design-first, shaping the paths, schema, errors, and naming in the contract before development begins, so that consistency is b...
