API Design Matters | Bad application programming interfaces plague software engineering. How do we get things right?

How to do Better
An API must provide sufficient functionality for the caller to achieve its task.
An API should be minimal, without imposing undue inconvenience on the caller.
APIs cannot be designed without an understanding of their context.
General-purpose APIs should be “policy-free;” special-purpose APIs should be “policy-rich.”
APIs should be designed from the perspective of the caller.
Good APIs don’t pass the buck.
APIs should be documented before they are implemented.
Good APIs are ergonomic.
(Link: API Design Matters | Bad application programming interfaces plague software engineering. How do we get things right?)