SDK Management for Your API with Github

by Kin Lane on 10/25/2012

The most common use of Github by API providers is to publish API SDK's to the popular social coding platform. If you look at most of the the top API providers in operation today, you will find they are actively using Github to not just manage and publicize their API SDK's, but actively interact with their developer ecosystem in the process.

Github provides the necessary workflow for initial design, development and publicizing of API SDKs, allowing owners to create separate repositories for web-based SDKs like PHP, Python and Ruby and mobile SDKs for iOS, Android and Windows mobile.

By making API SDK's public repositories on Github you get all the code management benefits of Github, but also make them available for social interaction by your developers. They will be able to download, fork and potentially commit additions and modifications back to an SDK's repository, allowing owners to harness the creative potential of the developer community.

Active Github repositories for an API are an essential part of any API ecosystem. If you don't use Github for anything else, make sure you publish your SDK's as a public repository. It will make the development of your client libraries a much more social experience, providing huge benefits for your API.