Seattle workshop on API Technical Writing
Will you be in Seattle on Friday, October 23rd? Join me and the Puget Sound Chapter of the STC for a full-day workshop on API technical writing. It’s free, and there’s free food too. :)
Anyone interested in learning about API technical writing is welcome to attend – you don’t need to be a member of the STC.
Quick links: Register to attend, and learn more on the STC Puget Sound site.
What is API technical writing?
API stands for Application Programming Interface. Developers use APIs to make apps that communicate with other apps and software/hardware components. API technical writers create documentation and other content that helps developers hook their apps up to someone else’s API.
For a tech writer, it’s an exciting, challenging and rewarding field. I love it!
This workshop gives you hands-on experience with APIs and API documentation, insight into the demands of the role, and plenty of information for your own follow-up study.
Workshop details
Date: Friday, October 23rd, 2015
Time: 9am to 4pm – breakfast and setup are at 9am, for a start at 9:30 sharp
Instructor: Sarah Maddox – that’s me ;)
Cost: None. The workshop is given free of charge.
Location: Google Offices, 601 N 34th Street, Seattle, WA 98103. (Link on Google Maps.)
This is a practical course on API technical writing, consisting of lectures interspersed with hands-on sessions where you’ll apply what you’ve learned. The focus is on APIs themselves as well as on documentation, since we need to be able to understand and use a product before we can document it.
The workshop includes the following sessions:
Lecture: Introduction to APIs, including a demo of some REST and JavaScript APIs.
Hands-on: Play with a REST API.
Lecture: JavaScript essentials.
Hands-on: Play with a JavaScript API.
Lecture: The components of API documentation and other developer aids.
Hands-on: Generate reference documentation using Javadoc.
Lecture: Beyond Javadoc – other doc generation tools.
Lecture: Working with an engineering team
Preparation for the workshop
Please take a look at the prerequisites and setup to see what you need to install on your laptop before the workshop. Doing the recommended installations will save you a lot of time at the workshop so that you can avoid missing crucial bits when you’re there.
Hope to see you there!
Here’s that signup link on Eventbrite. I hope to see you there!
Slide from lecture – working with an engineering team:
