Box.net Review
Online storage and collaboration tool OpenBox Developer area for those working with the API.
The developer area offers the following pieces:
- Introduction to OpenBox Actions
- Getting Started Guide for API
- Easy Signup
- Project Setup Page
And Box.net provides several flavors to its API:
It also provide ssome some great code samples and libraries in all the top programming languages.
There is a list of of all the API functions on the left hand menu, broken down into categories:
- Authentication
- File and Folder Operations
- Sharing
- Tagging
- Commenting
- Download and Upload
Box.net supports its API with a developer blog and also provides an email address to contact Box.net directly.
There is also a mobile API offering.
While I think Box.net offers a solid API, the API developer community or ecosystem is lacking. Its pretty evident the API came solely out of the Box.net development team.
The API community lacks consistency and seems to be spread between developers.box.net and box.net/developers. The overall approach lacks community and even has some broken links.
Box.net talks about some partners and API implementations on its blog, but doesn't showcase its developers or partners. In some ways this makes the API look like an after thought, and could give people pause before integrating it as they might fear they won't get much attention as part of the community..
Without actual experience in integration of course, this is all speculation. Although I think this reflects a common approach to delivering an API. Companies come out with a strong product, but without a solid business, marketing and management approach it can prompt people to explore other API solutions.
