API: Will it be exposed in v. 4?

Steven Kaminski

From what I can tell, unlike v.3, the API is not exposed in the current beta. What are the plans for the API?

Bradley Grainger (Logos)

API design is complicated. Right now, we haven't had the time to design a public API that exposes the power of Logos 4 (at the right level of technical complexity). Reusing the LDLS3 API isn't a viable option, because the fundamentals of the system have changed so much.

Additionally, the problem with publishing an API is that it effectively commits us to supporting it for a very long time. (Yes, we could throw it away in v4.1 and publish a new API, but that's not a good way to get 3rd-party developers interested in developing for the software long-term.) So if we publish an API, we want to get it "right" the first time, so that it's easy to learn, it's easy to do things the right way, and it'll have room for growth as we add features to 4.0 after launch.

 

spitzerpl

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/9827#Comment_9827

API design is complicated. Right now, we haven't had the time to design a public API that exposes the power of Logos 4 (at the right level of technical complexity). Reusing the LDLS3 API isn't a viable option, because the fundamentals of the system have changed so much.

Additionally, the problem with publishing an API is that it effectively commits us to supporting it for a very long time. (Yes, we could throw it away in v4.1 and publish a new API, but that's not a good way to get 3rd-party developers interested in developing for the software long-term.) So if we publish an API, we want to get it "right" the first time, so that it's easy to learn, it's easy to do things the right way, and it'll have room for growth as we add features to 4.0 after launch.

Thanks for your response. I was curious about this.

Steven Kaminski

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/9827#Comment_9827

Thank, Bradley. That approach makes sense. I assume the short answer is "Not yet."

Dale Durnell, Retired UM Clergy

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/9827#Comment_9827

API design is complicated. Right now, we haven't had the time to design a public API that exposes the power of Logos 4 (at the right level of technical complexity). Reusing the LDLS3 API isn't a viable option, because the fundamentals of the system have changed so much.

Additionally, the problem with publishing an API is that it effectively commits us to supporting it for a very long time. (Yes, we could throw it away in v4.1 and publish a new API, but that's not a good way to get 3rd-party developers interested in developing for the software long-term.) So if we publish an API, we want to get it "right" the first time, so that it's easy to learn, it's easy to do things the right way, and it'll have room for growth as we add features to 4.0 after launch.

 

Thanks Bradley -- I sorta kinda thought that was going to be the case. Ummm, I've got a copy of VB and Visual C (something) around the house somewhere. I may have to do a brain refresher on my part and see what I can create. But, I do appreciate the daunting task of creating it to begin with, the desire to do it right, and especially the desire to let it play into the future of the application -- you certainly don't want to scrap it at L4.1 and I don't want to have to recode a bunch of macros everytime there's an upgrade to the application.

Dale