How to use API documentation

Question

People usually say that they use documentation and API code.

I am relatively good at JAVA, that is, I can write simple programs. Recently, for a project I'm working on, I will be asked to work on a SOAPUI tool and read the SOAPUI API for writing code in Groovy. In doing this, I asked this question.

How to start using API documentation (for any language / thing)? Lets say, I want to start using the Google Map API or the Yahoo Developer API.

Are there structured ways to read and understand the API? Which classes should be used first or how to call or use different methods.

What needs to be done before reading a specific API and how to become familiar in creating things by reading and understanding the API and start building things?

What skills do you need to do for this? How to develop such skills.

Answer 1

I suggest you start with tutorials and sample code. API documents are some kind of reference information.

Answer 2

When I start using the new tool / API, I always read the documentation first to get an overview of what it is / what it does / how it works. The documentation usually points to a tutorial, and this is what I do next. Then I will try to create my own really simple test application that uses the API in a fairly normal way.

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

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Another thing that threw me into a loop that someone might find useful if they hadn't read carefully enough about Groovy to get started (like me) is that Groovy provides all the properties without the need to call getter or setter. So stuff like myObj.myProp = 5 matches the setMyProp (5) method in the API. Simple things, but I scratched my head because some of them were new!