It's not a secret anymore that Rails can be used to easily create RESTful, rich HTTP APIs. In fact, a plethora of articles have emerged in the last few years about:
The list goes on and on, but the pattern is that every article will explain the benefits of and teach you how to do exactly one (or two) things. Most of them are about creating proof-of-concept examples and fail to address common scenarios and issues in API development.
The result is that the majority of developers have no idea how to properly approach the creation of an HTTP API and have to resort to trial and error. Combine this with tight development timelines and demanding clients and you get the perfect recipe for slow, untested, unmanageable, undocumented monstrosities that "just work".
These are just some of the technical challenges developers face daily when working on an HTTP API:
After about three years, ten projects, countless pages of documentation and a sane amount of swearing, I have decided to put together all I've learned about doing HTTP APIs "the right way" and write a book (sort of) about it. But this is not just a mere collection of recipes: the book will take you through the design and implementation of a fully-fledged JSON API and provide core principles to guide you in each step along the journey, it aims to be the go-to reference
By the time you've reached the end, you will be equipped with workflow you can apply to any particular set of business requirements and any new challenges that might arise.
Are you ready? Buckle up, because it's going to be fun.