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Instructor: Our next topic is API Documentation.

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Now, let's begin with an exam.

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Nobody likes to write documentation.

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I have yet to meet a developer that told me happily,

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"You know what I'm going to do today?

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"I'm going to write documentation."

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Yeah, it's never gonna happen.

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But even though nobody likes it, it is so important.

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Your API must be well documented and let's think why.

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So let's begin with a question.

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In your opinion

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how many developers will use an undocumented API?

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So think about it for a minute and let's go to the answer.

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So the answer for this question is probably this.

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No one.

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Nobody is going to use an undocumented API,

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unless of course you force the developers to do it.

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But most of us are not in this position.

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And in general, no matter how good your API is,

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how sophisticated it is,

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and how great the execution is,

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if it is not documented,

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then simply no one will use it.

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So when talking about the importance of the documentation,

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of course it is crucial for the API usage.

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You want developers to use the API, then document it.

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In addition, the documentation

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will make it much easier to use.

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And if you remember,

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one of the key factors for making other developers

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to use your API is to make it easier to use it.

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Good documentation attracts developers.

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If developers sees that the documentation

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is comprehensive and detailed

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and really helps them to understand what the API is doing,

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then they will come in droves.

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In addition, good documentation improves your image.

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Once the documentation looks professional

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and provides answer to all the questions,

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then the typical developer will assume

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that the developer behind the API is also professional

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and is probably someone he should work with.