18F Blog

Hot off the press: 18F's API standards

By Alan deLevie , Eric Mill

July 15, 2014 api best practices how we work

We recently released the first version of our API Standards — a set of recommendations and guidelines for API production. It is our intention that every 18F API meet these standards, to help us ensure a baseline quality and consistency across all APIs we offer now and in the future.

Continue reading about Hot off the press: 18F's API standards

Intro to APIs: Working with URLs, JSON, APIs, and Open Data — without writing any code

By Gray Brooks , Eric Mill

June 25, 2014 api best practices workshop how we work events

June 27, 2014, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Register now. GSA’s digital teams are offering a user-friendly intro course to APIs. Regardless of your skill level, you will walk away from this lesson understanding what APIs are and how developers use them.

Continue reading about Intro to APIs: Working with URLs, JSON, APIs, and Open Data — without writing any code

Announcing the /Developer Program: a new hub for federal API creators

By Leah Bannon , Gray Brooks

May 29, 2014 education evangelism api

We recently launched our /Developer Program (pronounced "slash developer") to help federal agencies develop useful, robust APIs. The Program is a collection of educational resources, opportunities to engage the community for help and feedback, and tools that can help you build APIs — essentially an ever-growing knowledge base curated by 18F.

Continue reading about Announcing the /Developer Program: a new hub for federal API creators

Packaging up API usability testing for agency reuse

By Gray Brooks

May 19, 2014 api usability open source best practices evangelism

Over the past year, a GSA collaboration has seen a project that offers API usability testing to federal agencies go from the pilot stage to a regular, robust series. Already, 13 agencies and programs have participated, and several more participate with every monthly session that passes. The best examples from across the government have made clear that one of the most important tasks of API producers is to regularly engage their developer community and listen to what they have to say. But just encouraging agencies to do this only goes so far.

Continue reading about Packaging up API usability testing for agency reuse

Slides from the inaugural 18F Demo Day

By 18F

May 16, 2014 demo day fbopen open opportunities api user-centered design

The presentations given at the inaugural 18F Demo Day on May 9, 2014 are online and available at Speaker Deck. If you would like more information on any topic, please feel free to contact the individual speaker.

Continue reading about Slides from the inaugural 18F Demo Day