Got API?
An Application Programming Interface is a set of functions that let you “hook” into a system without having access to the source code or inside workings of that system. There’s an API for all the modern languages like Java, PHP, Ruby On Rails, and HTML. Sites such as Google, Amazon, and eBay all have an API allowing programmers to access information from their sites. Here’s a list of the APIs Google has available for many of its services including maps, adwords, and Blogger data. This lets a savvy programmer include all types of eBay or Amazon services on their web site by using what these sites have already created.
You can also think of an API as a dictionary. Just like an English dictionary displays words and their meanings, an API lists all the functions available in the API as well as what type of information each one is expecting and what type of information each function will return. Programmers use an API as a reference in using functions correctly.
Up until now a programmer had to keep a copy of each API on their computer or keep a list of bookmarks pointing to the APIs out on Web.
gotapi.com changes all of that. All the common language APIs are now available from a single link page. (Sorry, the application APIs such as Google, Amazon, and eBay aren’t listed yet.) As a programmer this means you can find information quickly as you are writing code.
Tip: With the gotapi.com page displaying, click and drag the icon in the Address field 
of your browser and drop it on upper part of your Start menu button. You’ll see a solid black line showing you were it will be positioned as you drag it into the Start list.
Anytime you need to look up a function, gotAPI.com is only a click or two away.
- Special thanks to Sean Washington for reminding me about this really great programming tool.
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This class covers both client-side scripting like JavaScript and server-side scripting using ASP.NET. Every year I go through the same anxiety, “What book(s) will I use for Web Programming II?”
Because this area is changing so dramatically I always need to find new textbooks. I think I’ve found a great JavaScript book for the class starting this August. I first heard about it while listening to a podcast from Paul Boag (Boag’s World podcast #23 – Defining Your Project) It’s called DOM Scripting by Jeremy Keith and offers great scripting techniques that include the DOM (Document Object Model), CSS, and XHTML.
The DOM allows a programmer to address any component on a web page. This could be a button, a title, or a specific paragraph. In the past DOM scripting was very tedious and worked differently in different browsers.
Jeremy starts out discussing the basics of JavaScript and builds on that utilizing the DOM based on its current standard which now works in all the popular browsers including Internet Explore and FireFox.
The projects he uses to demonstrate the code include a photo gallery and an animated slideshow. These not only look like fun but could be a valuable addition to your web site.
I’m also looking at making some Flash movies available for the second half of the course. Check out the instructional movies at LearnVisualStudio.net I’ll be looking closer at how I can include these as part of the course over the summer.
This is going to be a great course. Here’s the syllabus that lists all the stuff you will learn. (This is last year’s syllabus and it will be updated and revised over the summer.)
Tip: With the gotapi.com page displaying, click and drag the icon in the Address field 
of your browser and drop it on upper part of your Start menu button. You’ll see a solid black line showing you were it will be positioned as you drag it into the Start list.