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API Necessity Debate

Comments debate the purpose, design, and necessity of APIs in web development, questioning why APIs are needed beyond serving frontends, what constitutes a proper API, and whether they should be separate from UI or backend architecture.

📉 Falling 0.5x Web Development
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Top Contributors

pjmlp (21) dozzie (20) dragonwriter (14) recursivedoubts (12) robertlagrant (11)

Keywords

e.g DAYJOB AI CRUD UX NET HATEOAS URI CLI HiFi api ui data apis use api endpoints client auth database interface

Sample Comments

ohazi • Mar 22, 2013 • View on HN

Why does use of an API matter one way or another?

rhn_mk1 • Aug 31, 2020 • View on HN

Seems it's about client-server APIs, not API design in general.

hamandcheese • Nov 16, 2023 • View on HN

Not every API is a simple CRUD app with a user at the other end.

Reflecticon • Dec 12, 2020 • View on HN

Could you please elaborate what API means and why, you shouldn't?

polshaw • Dec 8, 2012 • View on HN

What are the main reasons you want an API?

shusson • Jul 23, 2023 • View on HN

Yeah what’s the hesitation for having an API?

nils-e13 • Nov 29, 2024 • View on HN

what makes your backend architecture unique compared to just calling an API?

duaneb • Jan 28, 2016 • View on HN

Why does your user care what API you use?

MatthewPhillips • Mar 11, 2011 • View on HN

Yep. Last paragraph says it all: Use the API for something besides clients.

davidism • Mar 2, 2015 • View on HN

A fair point. I was referring to the api being separate from the frontend, not what the api is returning. But I could see someone designing their application the way you describe.