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<title>API writer</title>

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<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><span class="mw-page-title-main">API writer</span></span>

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<p>An <b>API writer</b> is a <a href="Technical_writer" title="Technical writer">technical writer</a> who writes documents that describe an <a href="Application_programming_interface" class="mw-redirect" title="Application programming interface">application programming interface</a> (API). The primary audience includes programmers, developers, system architects, and system designers.

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Overview">Overview</h2></div>

<p>An API is a <a href="Library_(computing)" title="Library (computing)">library</a> consisting of interfaces, functions, <a href="Class_(computer_science)" class="mw-redirect" title="Class (computer science)">classes</a>, structures, enumerations, etc. for building a software application. It is used by developers to interact with and extend the software. An API for a given <a href="Programming_language" title="Programming language">programming language</a> or system may consist of system-defined and user-defined constructs. As the number and complexity of these constructs increases, it becomes very tedious for developers to remember all of the functions and the parameters defined. Hence, the API writers play a key role in building <a href="Computer_software" class="mw-redirect" title="Computer software">software</a> applications.

</p><p>Due to the technical subject matter, API writers must understand application <a href="Source_code" title="Source code">source code</a> enough to extract the information that API documents require. API writers often use tooling that extracts <a href="Software_documentation" title="Software documentation">software documentation</a> placed by programmers in the source code in a structured manner, preserving the relationships between the comments and the programming constructs they document.

</p><p>API writers must also understand the software product and document the new features or changes as part of the new software release. The schedule of software releases varies from organization to organization. API writers need to understand the software life cycle well and integrate themselves into the <a href="Systems_development_life_cycle" title="Systems development life cycle">systems development life cycle</a> (SDLC).

</p><p>API writers in the <a href="United_States" title="United States">United States</a> generally follow <i><a href="The_Chicago_Manual_of_Style" title="The Chicago Manual of Style">The Chicago Manual of Style</a></i> for <a href="Grammar" title="Grammar">grammar</a> and <a href="Punctuation" title="Punctuation">punctuation</a>.

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Qualifications">Qualifications</h2></div>

<p>API writers typically possess a mix of programming and language skills; many API writers have backgrounds in <a href="Computer_programming" title="Computer programming">programming</a> or <a href="Technical_writing" title="Technical writing">technical writing</a>.

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<ul><li><a href="Computer_programming" title="Computer programming">Computer programming</a> background (Knowledge of <a href="C_(programming_language)" title="C (programming language)">C</a>, <a href="C%2B%2B" title="C++">C++</a>, <a href="Java_(programming_language)" title="Java (programming language)">Java</a>, <a href="PHP" title="PHP">PHP</a>, or other <a href="Programming_language" title="Programming language">programming languages</a>)</li>

<li>Knowledge of formatting standards like <a href="Doxygen" title="Doxygen">Doxygen</a>, <a href="Javadoc" title="Javadoc">Javadoc</a>, <a href="OpenAPI_Specification" title="OpenAPI Specification">OpenAPI</a>, or <a href="Darwin_Information_Typing_Architecture" title="Darwin Information Typing Architecture">DITA</a></li>

<li>Knowledge of editors and tools, like <a href="FrameMaker" class="mw-redirect" title="FrameMaker">FrameMaker</a></li>

<li>Excellent communication and writing skills to interact with developers</li></ul>

<p>Expert API/<a href="Software_development_kit" title="Software development kit">software development kit</a> (SDK) writers can easily become <a href="Computer_programming" title="Computer programming">programming</a> writers.

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="API_writing_process">API writing process</h2></div>

<p>The API writing process is typically split between analyzing and understanding the <a href="Source_code" title="Source code">source code</a>, planning, writing, and reviewing. It is often the case that the analytical, planning, and writing stages do not occur in a strictly linear fashion.

</p><p>The writing and evaluation criteria vary between organizations. Some of the most effective API documents are written by those who are adequately capable of understanding the workings of a particular application, so that they can relate the software to the users or the various component constructs to the overall purpose of the program. API writers may also be responsible for authoring <a href="User_(computing)" title="User (computing)">end-user</a> product documentation.

</p><p>While reference documentation may be auto-generated to ensure completeness, documentation that helps developers get started should be written by a professional API writer and reviewed by subject matter experts.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This helps ensure that developers understand key concepts and can get started quickly.

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Product">Product</h2></div>

<p>API writers produce documents that include:

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<ul><li>API reference guides</li>

<li>Programmers' guides</li>

<li>Developer manuals</li>

<li>Administration manuals</li>

<li>Installation guides</li>

<li>Implementation and integration guides</li></ul>

<ul><li><a href="Technical_communication" title="Technical communication">Technical communication</a></li>

<li><a href="Technical_communication_tools" class="mw-redirect" title="Technical communication tools">Technical communication tools</a></li>

<li><a href="Comparison_of_documentation_generators" title="Comparison of documentation generators">Comparison of documentation generators</a></li></ul>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

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</style><cite id="CITEREFJacobson2011" class="citation book cs1">Jacobson, Daniel (2011). <i>APIs : a strategy guide</i>. O'Reilly. p. 101. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>9781449321642</bdi>.</cite></span>

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This article is issued from <a class="external text" title="Last edited on 2025-01-31" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/?title=API_writer&oldid=1273129039">Wikipedia</a>. The text is available under <a class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0</a> unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

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