Author:
Swift
Infos, an Internet
Marketing Entrepreneur, bridges gaps between the technological advancements and
client requirements. We provide instant consultations through Web API’s
(Application Programming Interface) to Startups, and Web-based Firms. A number
of websites across Thrissur, Kerala, have been designed by us and modules for
use have proved beneficial and informative to all.
People and Clients are on the
hunt for user-friendly websites with integrated features. Modern customers are
not satisfied with basic layouts of API’s and so we, Swift Infos, design
attractive and appealing websites embedded with API options.
Ensuring an online presence for all is the mandate for
designing websites. But how to build a state- of-the art website with appealing
ideas and easy navigations? We, at Swift Infos have designers, coders and full fledged content developers to satisfy
all your concerns.
Identifying some areas of
interests, we have developed strategies for resolving the problem of mismatched
website and API’s. A few of them are listed below:
API
Documentation and Benefits.
An Application Programming
Interface (API) permits asoftware to make use
of the functionality of, or data available to, another. As a reliable programmaticmethod enabling access to a resource, one may term it as a structured
way of indicating functionality.API documentation facilitates data sharing between internal IT
systems and between one organisation and another. APIs assists in the dissemination of knowledge and helps in
designing innovative online services.
The interoperability required by
a user of the web as a driver of growth and investment is fully met by the API.
An amazing API documentation opens doors for developersto experience the API’s
worth and facilitates the product’s branding process.Excellent documentation
builds trust, distinguishes you from other competitors and boosts market value.
API
Overview
An API Documentation decides the
future for your branding of product(s). You should be able to show:
·
What
your API Offers?
·
How
it works?
·
How
it Integrates?
·
And
How it scales up(i.e in usage limits,pricingand support)
Importance
of Overview Page
An overview page targets all
visitors, especially those involved in decision making processes. It should
project the business worth, explain to them directly why a company would want
to use your brand through the API. Developers, on the other hand, wish only to
understand the purpose of API and its features. Therefore, they turn to the
overview page, for gathering conceptual information.
The API Documentation shows all the architectural
process of your API and the structure of all your laid out documents. It’s
vital to include an overview of all different components and an introductionto request-response behaviors. Some
of the behaviorsinclude, how to integrate, send requests and process responses.
The information is also likely to
comprise all current API’s running ( like Java) and all interactions with other
platforms or software’s. Hence the conceptual knowledge in your API usability
is essential.
All conceptual knowledge leads to
related queries and easy understanding of the content provided. The API
documentation process is vital for introducing concepts, standards and its
functionality.
Examples
Examples are testimony to your
documentation process of your application software. Inclusion of examples in
the API Documentation explains what a particular API does, how it works, the
developers’ approach and application to specific cases through meaningful coding.
Examples,provide direction to learners
never to stop learning through proper use of API documentationtechniques. This
section helps everybody to overcome struggles searching where to begin and
where to end with good entry points.
Examples of any concept included
enable all users to easily understand dependencies, pre-requisites, identify
relevant sections in the documentation while scanning pages, and instruct
developers about how codes in API should look
and be applied.
Step
up your Examples
Better examples mean better
documents. Nevertheless, examples should be complete, programmed professionally
and work correctly. Examples convey more through information following the
guidelines of the respective community and best practice, approaches.
Briefs, informative examples,
explanations need to be self explanatory and should contain comments with
sample codesto helpthe readers in
comprehending them.\
Concrete examples (either in real
or made up) can be a sourceof formats and approaches to more information
delivered with clarity, convincing power and realistic quotes.
Examples could thus be in different
forms like auto-generated content, sample applications, client libraries, and
samples in multi languages.
Usability
of Your API’s
Your API Documentation,has a
large influence on the business owners and other stakeholders. Therefore, it’s
a tool that needsto be stressed at all times.
The way we use our API’s determines
or contributes to the development
of the API as a requirement for the customers.
However, there arise some factors
that help in the usability of the API’s
as listed:
·
Copy
and Paste—Developers are the masters in this field. They need to place codes
from the beginning to the end with this option that forms the blueprint for a
well planned website. The process thus may involve adding copy buttons or
highlighting any source of relevant information by copy and paste methods
wherever needed.
·
Sticky
Navigations—A user needs to navigate with ease. Hence this factor makes life
easy for the user. Implementing the process appropriately helps in fixingof
table of contents and other navigational pageviews. This greatly helps all
users from getting stuck or lost while navigating or scrolling up the website.
·
Clicking---
Minimizes the clickable feature by keeping closely related topics next to each other. Quite often this
feature is ignored or taken for granted fact. But this, not only enables in
getting easyclicks, but, also in
the tracing of each source of information the user needs.
·
Language
Selectors---Developers need this tool to
justify their websites with maximum users.
The provision of such a feature either embedded or manually added, helps the developers see the examples in their
choice of language thus minimizing language problems. Each page gets remembered by enabling this
option.
·
URL’s
Selections--- Viewing a single page usually results in longer pages. Therefore,
linking each section of the page of relevance is necessary. If the page views
are not possible,in a single view then, break the sections into different
topics with separate pages of relevance.
·
Review---your
API Documentation always has scope for for improvement(s).This helps you
identify the mistakes and improves your documentation based on feedback inputs.
Personality
Your API Documentation denotes
your personality. There could be many decisive factors like technical queries
or experimentsand the tone, style of interpretation of information and the
forms of conveying data.Here are a few
points underscoring a well developed personality:
·
Branding
Books: This could be a step towards your API Documentation process. Regularforms
of brandingand introducing new concepts with the API documentationprocess help
you gain in knowledge and improve personality.
·
Use
of friendly tones, talks and
presentations develops your overall skill and field of importance.
·
People refer to the API documentation as a source of
resolving their problems and queries. And rightlyso, your API Documentation is
the first step towards the levels of solution delivery.
·
Illustrations
and well planned diagrams can bring or relate different parts of a concept into one main innovative form of input and
idea.
·
Select
your examples with care.The examples make the user read more and think
according to situations.
·
Inserting
images is the catch. Never ever be intimidated
in using images, as the whole concept relies on the importance of images and
their roles in delivery of information.
Web
Typography
Readers,
generally only read, but the end of web designers begins at typography. Some
scalable factors such as typefaces, reiterations, of levels of scales and white spaces
determine the typographical features for the designer. Though tables are a mere
source of interpretation, yet the importance of delivery is accurate.
Hence, the fonts, the spaces all contribute to
the beauty of design delivered. Tables
with sophisticated data and diagrams need to be meaningfully delivered. Therefore, the type of fonts used are decisive.
Tables with literal fonts are used in various forms like financial statements,
bus time-tables, multi-language dictionaries, table of contents, numerical
conversions, pricing options, feature comparisons , technical specifications and much more.
Designers
inf act take the risks in
information delivery through simple table design principles. These may be usedto give a meaningful and accurate interpretation.Tables,need
to be readable andsupport the data held within.
Tables quite often aremisunderstood as pictures of data. This is
not true. These tables are only catalogues of data to be perused, parsed,
referenced and interrogated. So a well
designed table enables the information to be easily read and understood. It
should also reveal the patterns and co relations inherent in the data.
Rules
of Tabular Data
Many designers make a mistake by
stretching the tables. This should be
avoided to get better clarity and
meaning. Keep all the table details and allthat within to the minimum.
Aligning, spacing and grouping at
all times can help in bringing the proportions ofthe table to change. Please be
informed that in such cases, it’s recommended not to stretch the table or thetabulardata within to achieve the effect.
Try not to give deep ended or
fancy borders at all times. Think and react accordingly. Surely you would not
be creating a comparison table for a bank statement. So friends, use the tables
wisely and adjust the tabular data appropriately with suitable proportion and measurements.
Aligning of text, use of numbers with
bullets and bold headings with data to be employed as per the demand only. Never try to create
tables an artecraft to be read.
Don’t center align the text
within tables.Always align the text to the left alignment in tables. Never try
to justify the text within tables as the tables are narrow and have limits.
Leave it taggedto the right of the table.
Use of hyphens can reduce the
levels of confusion and enhance readability. Right align the numbers to help readers compare the figures.
As a tip for consistency, it’s
recommended to match the alignments of heading to the alignment of the data. Right aligning headings of numeric
data and left aligning heading columns of text
is always a necessity.
Always use tabular linings for
numerals in tables of numbers.Clear the unlimited white spaces in the tablesby
grouping and separate each data within the table.
Please do not over-style the
tables as it only leads to distraction and loss of important details.Allow browser to handle tables with
horizontal scrolling.Make the tables as responsive as possible according to
their purpose.
COLORS
Colors are the
essence of indicating sections in headers and footers. Colors are widely used to show primary visual information on a web page. Colors help
you identify and reinforce the pattern of your manual because, they show for
certain where a page or a section falls within the relevant picture. The use of colors help you unify the
documentation of your system and highlight specific key informationin the
document designed.
Ways of colors used
·
To
identify specific sections of a document.
·
To
match pocket guides with user guides.
·
To
cue specific kinds of information.
Key takeaways
·
API Documentation
boosts the functionality and data
sharing between internal IT systems and other organizations.
·
Itindicates
all the architectural process of your API and the structure of all your laid
out documents.
·
API
documentation provides interoperability essential for a user of web for growth
and investment.
·
The
Overview page is important as it aidsa visitor in the decision making process.
·
Inclusion
of good examples in the API Documentation provides a better understanding what
a particular API does, how it works, the developers’ approach and application
to specific cases.Examples could be in different forms like auto-generated
content, sample applications, client libraries, and in multi languages.
·
A
well-developed personality denotes your personality.
·
Close
attention needs to paid to the web typography insofar as they relate to tables,
tabular data, fonts, typefaces, colors and tone for easy readability and better
understanding.
