Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label api design

The Hidden Costs of Overdesign and Bad Practices in API Systems

In software development, simplicity and clarity are often sacrificed in favor of overly complex solutions. While it can be tempting to add more features and intricate designs to ensure robustness, overdesign and poor practices can have significant consequences. They frustrate developers, lead to inefficiencies, increase costs, and put unnecessary strain on system resources.  A recent example involving a team that has faced challenges with complexity highlights the pitfalls of such an approach. Overdesign: The Problem of Too Much Complexity Overdesign occurs when systems are built with more complexity than necessary. This might manifest in bloated APIs, convoluted data flows, or excessive checks and processes that don’t add substantial value. The goal is often to anticipate future problems, but this approach typically results in cumbersome systems that are difficult to maintain and scale. In one case, a company found itself paying a hefty price just to host two API services and a po...

Avoiding Confusion in API Design: The Importance of Clear Responses

In today’s fast-paced software development landscape, APIs play a crucial role in connecting services and enabling functionality. However, poor design choices can lead to confusion and inefficiency for both developers and users. One such choice is the omission of a response body for successful requests, a practice I recently encountered in an enterprise API designed for bill payments. The Case of the No-Response API The API in question serves two main endpoints: one for inquiring about account validity and another for confirming payment. When successful, the API returned a  200 OK  status but no response body. This design choice led to significant confusion during our integration process. Even the internal team who developed the said API struggled to justify this approach, revealing a lack of clarity around the rationale behind it. Pros of This Design Choice While the intention behind this design may have been to streamline responses, several potential benefits can be identifi...