A model for client libraries I like is the one for Amazon Web Services (AWS). The underlying SOAP or REST web service calls can be made directly, but everyone ends up using just one of the various software development kits (SDKs) that exist, which provide abstractions over the underlying API. These SDKs, though, are written by the community or AWS people other than those who work on the API itself. This degree of separation seems to work, and avoids some of the pitfalls of client libraries. Part of the reason this works so well is that the client is in charge of when the upgrade happens. If
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