APIensimmäinen

APIensimmäinen is a Finnish term that translates to "API-first" in English. It describes a software development approach where the design and development of an Application Programming Interface (API) are prioritized from the outset of a project. Instead of building a product and then creating an API to expose its functionality, an API-first strategy begins with defining the API contract. This contract specifies how different software components or applications will interact with each other.

This approach emphasizes the API as a primary product, not an afterthought. Developers define the data models, endpoints, request/response formats, and authentication methods before or in parallel with the underlying implementation. This leads to a more robust, well-documented, and standardized API. The benefits include improved collaboration between development teams, faster integration with third-party services, and the potential for creating a consistent developer experience across multiple products or services. It also facilitates a microservices architecture, where independent services communicate via well-defined APIs. The API becomes the central point of interaction, guiding the development of both the front-end and back-end components.