Company
Date Published
Author
Subomi Oluwalana
Word count
955
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Rolling versions are emerging as a superior technique for API versioning, thanks in part to Stripe's popularization of the method. This approach allows for incremental upgrades that maintain backward compatibility by applying transformation logic to API requests and responses, thus avoiding the need to create entirely new API versions for minor changes. Unlike major versioning, which can lead to bloated and less intuitive APIs, rolling versions keep the API consistent and adaptable to changing user requirements. This technique uses dates instead of semantic version numbers, highlighting the frequency of releases and fostering a more fluid and intuitive API contract. The article emphasizes the benefits of this approach, such as the ability to unit test transformations, implement feature flags, and progressively release updates. While rolling versions are not a cure-all, they offer a balanced solution for evolving APIs in fast-paced environments, encouraging developers to consider adopting this scheme and contributing to its open-source implementations.