Documenting Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for

Cloud Technologies

A workshop presented by Ed Marshall

About this Workshop

• From now through 2020, market analysts expect the cloud computing industry to grow globally at a 30% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), reaching $270 billion.* Organizations that have adopted cloud computing and web services technologies use application programming interfaces (APIs) to deliver and exchange content, data, and other digital resources with employees, business partners, customers, and the public at large. On the Programmable Web, the world’s largest repository of APIs, almost 13,000 APIs are updated daily.

• For technical communicators who enjoy reading and analyzing code and working directly with developers, creating API documentation is a lucrative market and rewarding experience. During this half-day workshop, API documentation expert Ed Marshall will introduce you to the world of APIs and how technical communicators succeed in this market. You’ll also create API documentation for REST (Representational State Transfer), one of the most popular protocols used in cloud computing.

* Source: “Global Cloud Computing Market Forecast 2015-2020,” Market Research Media. Retrieved January 17, 2015, from http://www.marketresearchmedia.com/?p=839

In this workshop, you will learn:

• What APIs are, who uses them, and why.• What cloud computing and web services are and why these technologies are growing

in popularity.• The typical types of documentation deliverables for these products.• The benefits and drawbacks of working in this field.• How much software code and programming knowledge you need. (Hint: Ed is not a

programmer but has worked successfully in this field for 27 years.)• How much information you can get from the code, and from where and how you get

information that is not in the code.• How to create a REST API document from a real-world example. By the end of this

workshop, you will have a finished document that you can show to potential clients or employers.

Speaker’s BioEd is the founder and owner of Marshall Documentation Consulting (www.MarshallDocumentationServices.com), with over 27 years of experience in technical writing, and a Certified MadCap Advanced Developer (MAD) for MadCap Flare. He specializes in technical documentation for developers. Throughout his career, he has developed expertise in using tools to “let the computer do the work,” such as advanced tools for editing files, comparing files, and searching and replacing text. Ed has presented at many conferences and events, including the Society for Technical Communication (STC), WritersUA, Information Development World, TEKOM, and DocTrain. Contact Ed at ed.marshall@verizon.net or on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/pub/ed-marshall/0/501/898. Also follow him on Twitter @EdMarshall.