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Documenting APIs is a lucrative and expanding technical writing
specialty. Technical communicators, though, are often unsure what
skills they need to break into it. For example, while a familiarity with
basic programming techniques and object-oriented
programming methodology is strongly recommended, a technical writer does
not need to be a
programmer to document APIs. More
important is the ability to understand and write clearly about highly
abstract programming concepts and to communicate effectively
with subject matters experts (SMEs). This presentation addresses:
- What are APIs?
- What are interfaces?
- What are the different kinds of API documentation, including programmer’s guides, reference manuals, etc.?
- Who is the audience?
- Why do software developers want API documentation?
- What background does a technical writer need?
- How does one find a common language with developers?
Jim Bisso
James Bisso, M.A., has 20 years of experience writing API documentation for
such companies as Oracle, Sun Microsystems, Inprise, and Taligent. He has taught
computer science and documenting APIs at UC Berkeley Extension, Golden Gate
University, Mills College, and the University of San Francisco. James has also
been a corporate trainer for Oracle University and Bitzone LLC. He is currently
CTO of Bitzone LLC and a principal technical
writer at Access.
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