I’m due to meet with a developer/sales person from a new 3rd party resource we’re about to start using. The main topic I’ll be interested in, is their API as I will be the developer making use of it and explaining it to the rest of the team.
What questions would you recommend asking?
Things I’m already thinking about are:
- What happens and how will I be notified when they depreciate a method?
- Is there ever any downtime?
- Who will I deal with first when I have API issues?
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Besides the things you suggested by yourself (among which “who will I deal with first when I have API issues” is IMHO the most important question) I would ask
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What kind of documentation do you provide?
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Do you provide samples how to use the API?
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How often do you provide new releases?
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Do you provide a detailed and complete (!) change list for a new release with special hints on breaking changes?
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Do your developers have a test suite in place (for example, to detect breaking changes)? (if the answer is no or “just for parts”, you may consider bringing your own test suite in place)
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Which requirements for the OS environment or run time environment does the lib have? What happens if there is a new version of the OS / run time environment, how quick can you test the lib / provide a new version if necessary?
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What requirements on resources (memory, network, file system space, processor speed etc.) does the lib have?
Though there is a laundry list of potential questions, the answer to your question is simply:
Read the API documentation before the initial meeting on the API and ask for any additional information that you will need for the success of the project.
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