The Difference Between Public And Published Interfaces - Kevlin Henney - Video Insight
The Difference Between Public And Published Interfaces - Kevlin Henney - Video Insight
Chris Athanas
Fullscreen


The video analyzes the distinction between public and published interfaces, emphasizing their implications for software development and organizational communication.

In this video, Chris Tennis discusses Kevin Henny's insights on the difference between public and published interfaces in software development. He reflects on the philosophies articulated by Martin Fowler regarding how published interfaces are established to facilitate communication and usage between separate teams or departments. Chris emphasizes the importance of maintaining a clear boundary between internal project interfaces—free for modifications—and published APIs that developers must support once they are made available to external users. The crux of the discussion revolves around how to navigate the relationship between these interfaces, considering the implications changes may have on various stakeholders and the need for effective communication regarding updates and deprecations to prevent disruption in dependent systems. He further highlights the balance between maintaining flexibility and honoring the fixed nature of published APIs, emphasizing the role of empathy and understanding within organizational dynamics when facing these technical challenges.


Content rate: A

The content is informative, provides substantial explanation on the nuanced distinction between public and published interfaces, contains valuable perspectives, and is backed up by references to established literature and thoughtful analysis.

interfaces software development philosophy communication

Claims:

Claim: A published interface is available to people outside immediate control and influence.

Evidence: The explanation given highlights that a published interface is crucial for inter-departmental communication, limiting the ability to change it carelessly.

Counter evidence: Some may argue that published interfaces can still allow modifications by proper versioning and backwards compatibility strategies.

Claim rating: 9 / 10

Claim: Internal project interfaces can be modified freely, while published ones require support.

Evidence: Chris distinctly states that there should be a separation in how internal and published interfaces are treated, with the former being subject to frequent changes.

Counter evidence: Opponents might point out that some internal interfaces could be relied upon by external developers, necessitating a similar caution in modification.

Claim rating: 8 / 10

Claim: Maintaining a clear boundary between public and published interfaces is critical in software management.

Evidence: The discussion emphasizes that recognizing this boundary can prevent frustration and confusion among users relying on published APIs.

Counter evidence: Some might argue that strict boundaries can impede innovation and rapid development.

Claim rating: 8 / 10

Model version: 0.25 ,chatGPT:gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18