HN Explorer

11 comments

[ 16.2 ms ] story [ 853 ms ] thread
6thSigma
I quit my job about a month ago to build stuff. Here is the first thing I'm releasing into the wild.

It's an API directory and search engine. This is a basic MVP but I plan on this site being a valuable tool for both API providers and consumers.

List your API for free! If you have a favorite API you would like to list that you don't own, you can do that too.

Every hour, a bot will tweet a newly submitted API. You can follow that Twitter account here: https://twitter.com/apiforthat

If you have any questions/comments/suggestions please let me know.

swanson
Would be nice to be able to filter like "show me an API for TV show data that uses JSON and has a free option". Would also like a curated list of client libraries (there are like 2000 Twitter API Ruby gems - which one is the best/most active/most supported).

I've used http://www.programmableweb.com/apis in the past, but the data seems kind of stale.

6thSigma
Thanks! I'll add those to my todo list.
csmatt
There are quite a few in this space. I like the idea, though. It would probably gain traction if there was a nice sandbox and set of tools to mock up and understand requests for different services. I have links for all of these if you want them.

APIFinder, ProgrammableWeb, RemoteMethods, Seekda, Web Service List, Webmashup, WSindex, XMethods, Mashape

6thSigma
I am trying to tailer API For That to be more of a social, wiki-like site for APIs. In the future I plan on adding following options, standardized documentation, wiki-like editing of public APIs, etc.

Thanks for the mockup tools suggestion! I'll add that as something to look into.

basicallydan
csmatt is right in saying there's a lot in this space but also a lot missing from existing things. Mockup tools would be cool, indeed.

In fact, making some way for API owners to create mockup tools for their APIs might be an interesting niche.

On a side note, good luck to you with your plan. It's brave of you to quit your job for the purposes of building stuff. Admirable :)

pyrocat
I like the design, but was expecting a larger list and more filtering options.
6thSigma
Thanks, yeah I released the app and have been adding stuff at the same time. I wanted providers to be able to list their own app so they can have an account and upgrade it when things change. I hope to have several hundred over the next couple of weeks.

Filtering and categories are also in the works.

repler
I think you misunderstand that people who create software products also provide APIs to their product, both online and shrinkwrapped.

There are literally as many APIs out there as there are software products.

6thSigma
And how am I misunderstanding something exactly?