Metacommunication between programmers through an application programming interface: A semiotic analysis of date and time APIs
JOAO ANTONIO DUTRA MARCONDES BASTOS, Luiz Marques Afonso, Clarisse Sieckenius de Souza · 2017
When programmers use an API, they play the role of a “software user”. As the quality of use of programs and systems affects productivity, more attention has been paid to API usability issues. This work focuses on another dimension of the quality of use, “communicability”, which is characteristic of a semiotic approach. The paper presents a Semiotic Engineering study on the communicability of APIs. We analyzed metacommunication - a central concept of the theory we use - between designers and users of date APIs, specifically, using the “SigniFYIng APIs” method. The results of the analysis were then related to the testimony of professional programmers during an interview concerning their experience with APIs and programming in general. We illustrate and discuss the value of the results achieved with our API communicability analysis, which in our view is a promising addition to research initiatives that have been exploring API usability.