What is API Surface Area?












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I've been reading up on .NET Core vs Standard vs. Framework, and people are talking about API Surface Area. What does this refer to? Is this just the collective amount of functionality?










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  • 3




    "API surface area" is the part of the API exposed to others. The part "on the outside" that others can see and interact with.
    – Raymond Chen
    Nov 22 at 18:02






  • 1




    Implementing an api requires writing a bunch of code. You want that code to be as invisible as possible. The plumbing should be internal and only the api types and methods should be public. It is harder to do in .NETCore because it is built from a very large number of small assemblies. Originally motivated to make it easier to port to different operating systems.
    – Hans Passant
    Nov 22 at 18:17










  • Classes and methods for short. Like other comments indicated, it is what your assembly can consume if you are an application developer. If you write libraries, that’s what you expose to others.
    – Lex Li
    Nov 23 at 0:14










  • Thanks guys! Much appreciated!
    – kickinchicken
    Nov 23 at 15:30
















0














I've been reading up on .NET Core vs Standard vs. Framework, and people are talking about API Surface Area. What does this refer to? Is this just the collective amount of functionality?










share|improve this question


















  • 3




    "API surface area" is the part of the API exposed to others. The part "on the outside" that others can see and interact with.
    – Raymond Chen
    Nov 22 at 18:02






  • 1




    Implementing an api requires writing a bunch of code. You want that code to be as invisible as possible. The plumbing should be internal and only the api types and methods should be public. It is harder to do in .NETCore because it is built from a very large number of small assemblies. Originally motivated to make it easier to port to different operating systems.
    – Hans Passant
    Nov 22 at 18:17










  • Classes and methods for short. Like other comments indicated, it is what your assembly can consume if you are an application developer. If you write libraries, that’s what you expose to others.
    – Lex Li
    Nov 23 at 0:14










  • Thanks guys! Much appreciated!
    – kickinchicken
    Nov 23 at 15:30














0












0








0







I've been reading up on .NET Core vs Standard vs. Framework, and people are talking about API Surface Area. What does this refer to? Is this just the collective amount of functionality?










share|improve this question













I've been reading up on .NET Core vs Standard vs. Framework, and people are talking about API Surface Area. What does this refer to? Is this just the collective amount of functionality?







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share|improve this question











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asked Nov 22 at 18:00









kickinchicken

4894822




4894822








  • 3




    "API surface area" is the part of the API exposed to others. The part "on the outside" that others can see and interact with.
    – Raymond Chen
    Nov 22 at 18:02






  • 1




    Implementing an api requires writing a bunch of code. You want that code to be as invisible as possible. The plumbing should be internal and only the api types and methods should be public. It is harder to do in .NETCore because it is built from a very large number of small assemblies. Originally motivated to make it easier to port to different operating systems.
    – Hans Passant
    Nov 22 at 18:17










  • Classes and methods for short. Like other comments indicated, it is what your assembly can consume if you are an application developer. If you write libraries, that’s what you expose to others.
    – Lex Li
    Nov 23 at 0:14










  • Thanks guys! Much appreciated!
    – kickinchicken
    Nov 23 at 15:30














  • 3




    "API surface area" is the part of the API exposed to others. The part "on the outside" that others can see and interact with.
    – Raymond Chen
    Nov 22 at 18:02






  • 1




    Implementing an api requires writing a bunch of code. You want that code to be as invisible as possible. The plumbing should be internal and only the api types and methods should be public. It is harder to do in .NETCore because it is built from a very large number of small assemblies. Originally motivated to make it easier to port to different operating systems.
    – Hans Passant
    Nov 22 at 18:17










  • Classes and methods for short. Like other comments indicated, it is what your assembly can consume if you are an application developer. If you write libraries, that’s what you expose to others.
    – Lex Li
    Nov 23 at 0:14










  • Thanks guys! Much appreciated!
    – kickinchicken
    Nov 23 at 15:30








3




3




"API surface area" is the part of the API exposed to others. The part "on the outside" that others can see and interact with.
– Raymond Chen
Nov 22 at 18:02




"API surface area" is the part of the API exposed to others. The part "on the outside" that others can see and interact with.
– Raymond Chen
Nov 22 at 18:02




1




1




Implementing an api requires writing a bunch of code. You want that code to be as invisible as possible. The plumbing should be internal and only the api types and methods should be public. It is harder to do in .NETCore because it is built from a very large number of small assemblies. Originally motivated to make it easier to port to different operating systems.
– Hans Passant
Nov 22 at 18:17




Implementing an api requires writing a bunch of code. You want that code to be as invisible as possible. The plumbing should be internal and only the api types and methods should be public. It is harder to do in .NETCore because it is built from a very large number of small assemblies. Originally motivated to make it easier to port to different operating systems.
– Hans Passant
Nov 22 at 18:17












Classes and methods for short. Like other comments indicated, it is what your assembly can consume if you are an application developer. If you write libraries, that’s what you expose to others.
– Lex Li
Nov 23 at 0:14




Classes and methods for short. Like other comments indicated, it is what your assembly can consume if you are an application developer. If you write libraries, that’s what you expose to others.
– Lex Li
Nov 23 at 0:14












Thanks guys! Much appreciated!
– kickinchicken
Nov 23 at 15:30




Thanks guys! Much appreciated!
– kickinchicken
Nov 23 at 15:30

















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