API Modernization - Building Bridges As You Cross Them

Explore API modernization strategies in this JSConf Budapest 2019 conference talk. Delve into the challenges and solutions encountered during the Electron project's journey to deliver modern JavaScript APIs. Learn about asynchronous JS, idiomatic getters and setters, and platform-dependent functionalities. Gain insights on implementing APIs across multiple languages, gathering context, and writing reusable code for easier updates. Discover how open-source projects can balance innovation with maintenance while considering end-user needs. Understand various modernization types, including platform, language, and dependency updates. Acquire valuable tips on communicating changes to users, ensuring redundancy, and minimizing disruption. Evaluate when modernization is appropriate and when to avoid it. Enhance your understanding of API evolution in a constantly changing ecosystem.

Intro
Software Modernization
Modernization Goals
Electron
API Contract Breakage
Semantic Versioning
(Some) Types of Modernization
Platform Modernization
Language Modernization
Language Updates
Dependency Modernization
Communication & Your End-Users
Ensure Redundancy
Communicate Early
Provide Context
Minimizing Churn
When to NOT modernize?
Wrapping Up