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By Rosie Hoyem and Sonja Hall

The next five years of web development are all about data applications and APIs. Learn how to leverage Rails-API to build them. This modular subset of a normal Rails application streamlines the process of building a standardized API that can easily be consumed by a wide-array of applications. We'll explore example applications using Rails API, demonstrating the expanding utility of this framework as user interfaces extend beyond HTML into native applications and APIs.

Rosie writes code in Minneapolis at the Minnesota Population Center, a leading developer and disseminator of demographic data. She's a designer turned city planner turned energy policy nerd turned web developer and proud 2013 graduate of the Flatiron School in NYC.

Sonja is a U.S. Fulbright Scholar and recent graduate of the Flatiron School in NYC who is a developer at Venga in Washington, D.C. Inspired by design and the great outdoors, you can find her commuting on her road bike or hanging out with dogs when not mastering the art of Rails.

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The video titled "Build The API First" features Rosie Hoyem and Sonja Hall discussing the critical importance of APIs in modern web development, particularly using Rails-API. This presentation, delivered at RailsConf 2014, emphasizes how the next five years will focus heavily on data applications and APIs, encouraging developers to prioritize API design in their projects.

### Key Points Discussed:
- **Importance of Patterns**: Rosie draws parallels between architectural design and software development, stressing that both fields benefit from established patterns that facilitate good design practices. She references Christopher Alexander's book "A Pattern Language" which highlights how patterns can solve complex design problems. 
- **Building APIs First**: The presenters advocate for the idea of building the API first, explaining that APIs should serve as the foundational infrastructure for applications. This approach allows for flexibility in supporting various client applications such as mobile apps and JavaScript frameworks. 
- **Best Practices for API Design**: Sonja outlines several best practices including:
  - Designing APIs for user experience rather than merely for data storage.
  - Ensuring consistency across API endpoints and routes to facilitate a predictable developer experience.
  - Prioritizing clear and thorough documentation to enhance API usability and adoption.
- **API Versioning and Planning**: Both speakers emphasize the inevitability of API versioning and the necessity for careful planning to avoid breaking changes that could disrupt existing users. They recommend approaching initial API versions as a substantial commitment to establish strong foundations for future iterations.
- **Tools Discussion**: They share insights on using tools like Rails API and Active Model Serializers that help streamline the development of REST APIs while ensuring minimal overhead and adherence to best practices. 
- **Community Collaboration**: The speakers call for developers to collectively agree on standards and conventions to streamline API development across the Rails community. They believe that by sharing solutions, productivity and the quality of APIs can improve significantly.

### Conclusions and Takeaways:
- The presenters highlight the need to elevate API design from a makeshift process to a well-planned foundation within application development. 
- They encourage developers to adopt established best practices and be mindful of future consumer applications that may use their APIs.
- Documentation is portrayed as a pivotal aspect of successful API deployment, reinforcing the necessity for context-rich guides to support user onboarding and problem resolution.

Ultimately, Rosie and Sonja aim to inspire attendees to seriously consider building their APIs first in future projects, thus ensuring robust, flexible, and user-friendly applications in an increasingly API-centric landscape.

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