At 21:42 15/05/05 -0400, ajb@spamcop.net wrote:
Continuing on from the previous thought, part of the problem here is that we teach people to write code (e.g. how to implement a sort), but we don't teach people to write APIs. APIs are both trickier to get right AND are more important in larger programs.
I think you raise an important point. Reading this, I realize that I have no principled basis for deciding what makes a good API, in any language. I do, of course, have lots of personal ideas and feelings about what APIs should be like, but not that I could defend as coherent and rational strategy. So I ask myself: are there any good papers or books on this topic that outline a coherent and principled approach to API design? #g ------------ Graham Klyne For email: http://www.ninebynine.org/#Contact