Quick Next.js + GraphQL Integration via API Routes

This is a quick guide to getting a lightweight GraphQL server via API route in a Next.js app. This is not a detailed tutorial of how to create a beautiful, semantic GraphQL and Next.js toolkit. Where we’re starting: A basic Next.js app with a Postgres database. Where we’re going: A request to an api/graphql endpoint […]

Fake or Mock an API with JSON Server

JSON Server is an easy and quick-to-set-up module that you can use to fake or mock an API. You can find the basics in the documentation, and many articles regurgitate the same info. In this post, though, I intend to cover a few of the more complex things you can do with JSON Server.

Building a Fake API for Testing & Development

Nearly all applications developed today will integrate with an external service of some kind (HTTP, Bluetooth, etc.). These integrations can pose problems for automated testing, exploratory testing, and even demonstrating functionality to a stakeholder.

Leveraging the Boundary Between Client and Server in a REST API

I recently encountered an interesting problem while sketching out a RESTful API for a side project with the JSON API specification. I’m definitely not the first person to run into this problem, but it ended up being a great thought exercise for designing APIs and better understanding the client-server relationship.

Exporting Server-Side Types and Endpoints to Ember

Keeping the client and server in sync can be difficult while developing a web app. That’s particularly true if you are using text-based data such as JSON in your API calls (though the flexibility and readability of JSON over binary data should not be disregarded).

Be Explicit with Your API’s Data

I recently managed to take a feeling I’ve had about API design and formulate it into a specific recommendation: Be explicit about state when crossing system boundaries.

4 Types of APIs and When to Use Them

Most apps today draw a strong line between the server and the client. The client, maybe a single-page web application or a native mobile app, focuses on the user-facing features, while the server provides the data and a way to update it. Atomic has done a lot of projects this way, and we’ve found it’s […]

4 Pitfalls of Developing with APIs

Estimating software development efforts is hard. We’ve used a lot of different strategies, but the bottom line is that it’s hard to come up with a good estimate very often. There are a few warning signs I have learned to look for that frequently indicate that my estimates might be off: Unfamiliar technology, vague requirements, […]

3 Benefits of Fake APIs

Developing an application and an API in parallel can be quite the tricky task. Often times, it can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunication between developers. This can cause a project’s progress to come to a screeching halt. The longer the misconceptions go unnoticed, the bigger the damage may be. On recent projects, my team has […]

Framework Docs Are a First-Class Citizen

Documentation is a crucial part of any good API or framework. Despite this importance, it often gets neglected and treated as an afterthought. I recently asked another developer how he always managed to put together such well-thought-out and complete documentation. His response was: “Documentation Driven Design (DDD): if your API feels clunky to document, it’s […]

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