Introducing the Technical Writer to API Documentation

By far, the best article I've seen on the subject is by Susan Gallagher:

http://pw1.netcom.com/~gscale/susanwg/cmindware/api.htm

Courses on API Documentation

UC Berkeley Extension is among the places offering for technical writers a course about API documentation.

APIs and the Law

Application Programming Interfaces are pivotal in the landmark judicial case about Microsoft's integration of Internet Explorer into the Windows 95 operating system. An appellate court ruled that such an integration is not illegal if it benefits consumers. Microsoft's attorney argues that,

``One plausible benefit is widespread distribution of the APIs,'' he said, referring to ``hooks'' in Microsoft's Web browser that other software developers can use for their products.

[The U.S. government's attorney] agreed that API distribution was a benefit, but he argued that there was a distinction between a benefit that comes from the design itself -- the key issue of the tying claim -- and a benefit that comes solely from distribution. The appeals court test should be solely based on whether the benefit comes as a basis of the design.

"A Final Chance to Play Defense," David L. Wilson, San Jose Mercury News, 2/23/2000