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Error handling, screen scraping & FinTech, building scalable APIs
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Bill's Digest

2017  |  Issue #17  |  View our blog
Hi API fans,

An error code is one of the last things a developer wants to see when using an API. However, well-formed error responses are probably the most useful diagnostic element in the API space. Learn how to create good error responses that developers will find useful.

Next up, screen scraping is continually blasphemed as insecure and unstandardized. So... why do FinTechs want to save it? Read our latest update on the European financial services realm to find out why. Lastly, our upcoming Summit will focus on scalability; so in this article we explore what it means to build robust, scalable APIs and microservices. 

 

Thanks for reading! Until next time,
-Bill Doerrfeld | Editor in Chief | Nordic APIs

 
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Best Practices for API Error Handling
Best Practices for API Error Handling
Error codes are almost the last thing that you want to see in an API response. Generally speaking, it means one of two things — something was so wrong in your request or your handling that the API simply couldn’t parse the passed data, or the API itself has so many problems that even the most well-formed request is going to fail. In either situation, traffic comes crashing to a halt, and the process of discovering the cause and solution begins. That being said, errors, whether in code form or simple error response, are a bit like getting a shot — unpleasant, but incredibly useful. Error codes are probably the most useful diagnostic element in the API space, and this is surprising, given how little attention we often pay them. Today, we’re going to talk about exactly why error responses and handling approaches are so useful and important. We’ll take a look at some common error code classifications the average user will encounter, as well as some examples of these codes in action. We’ll also talk a bit about what makes a “good” error code and what makes a “bad” error code, and how to ensure your error codes are up to snuff...
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Why Do FinTechs Want To Save Screen Scraping?
Why Do FinTechs Want To Save Screen Scraping?
The European financial services industry is on the cusp of a technological revolution. Reforms like PSD2 and the CMA initiative in the UK are forcing traditional banking institutions to enter the API Economy as active participants. Great news for the FinTech scene, one would think; at last the banking platforms are being opened up ready for third-parties to securely access a customer’s data without the need to screen scrape online banking interfaces (also frequently referred to as ‘direct access’). However, recent events are showing otherwise… Andrea Enria, chairperson of the European Banking Authority (EBA) stated in a speech to the Westminster Forum that “…the current practice of third party access without identification… referred to as ‘screen scraping’… will no longer be allowed once the transition period under the PSD2 has elapsed and the RTS (Regulatory Technical Standard) applies.” This speech was followed up with the final draft of the RTS confirming the intention to ban screen scraping 18 months after it comes into force. Since that announcement there has been consternation amongst the ranks of European FinTechs including consortium forming, lobbying, and rallying in general against the banning of the practice of screen scraping. The EU commission itself has called on the EBA to rethink the ban. Given the number of perceived disadvantages of screen scraping one wonders why. As with any debate there are always several different valid viewpoints. However, before getting into the debate it worth establishing the technical facts...
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4 Mantras for Designing Scalable APIs
4 Mantras for Designing Scalable APIs
Scalability might be a buzzword, but there’s reason for that — it can define both early adoption and future success, as well as a variety of points and approaches along the lifespan of a product. That being said, it’s also often poorly implemented. Properly approaching scalability is important not only to nascent solutions in the industry, but to the industry itself. As applications grow larger and more demanding, processing ever larger amounts of data, scalability is going to become vastly more important than it already is. Today, we’re going to discuss scalability, and what it actually means. We’ll discuss why scalability is so incredibly important for designing robust APIs and microservices, and consider the implications of proper scalability on the web industry as a whole. Finally, we’ll provide four mantras; four basic and repeatable concepts that will help any provider adopt scalability and reap its rewards...
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