TY - JOUR
T1 - Towards cost-effective API deprecation
T2 - A win–win strategy for API developers and API users
AU - Kao, Chia Hung
AU - Chang, Cheng Ying
AU - Jiau, Hewijin Christine
N1 - Funding Information:
This study is supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of China under grant MOST 108-2221-E-143-003-MY3 .
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2022/2
Y1 - 2022/2
N2 - API deprecation, which enables API developers to assist API users in migration tasks, has been widely employed in API removal management. However, mismanaged API deprecation will cause unnecessary cost and bring negligible benefit to API users. Cost-effective investments in API deprecation become challenges for API developers. In this work, an iterative model for cost-effective investments in API deprecation is developed. The model provides a data-driven mechanism for API developers to iteratively make investments in API deprecation. A tool named AWARE (A Win–win Assistant for API REmoval management) is also developed for API developers to accurately assess the benefit from the perspective of API usage statistics. Based on the prioritized benefit, API developers can allocate appropriate resources on API deprecation. A case study is performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the iterative model with AWARE. The evaluation result shows that the cost paid by API developers can be reduced significantly while the benefit brought to API users can be increased. A win–win strategy for API deprecation can be achieved.
AB - API deprecation, which enables API developers to assist API users in migration tasks, has been widely employed in API removal management. However, mismanaged API deprecation will cause unnecessary cost and bring negligible benefit to API users. Cost-effective investments in API deprecation become challenges for API developers. In this work, an iterative model for cost-effective investments in API deprecation is developed. The model provides a data-driven mechanism for API developers to iteratively make investments in API deprecation. A tool named AWARE (A Win–win Assistant for API REmoval management) is also developed for API developers to accurately assess the benefit from the perspective of API usage statistics. Based on the prioritized benefit, API developers can allocate appropriate resources on API deprecation. A case study is performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the iterative model with AWARE. The evaluation result shows that the cost paid by API developers can be reduced significantly while the benefit brought to API users can be increased. A win–win strategy for API deprecation can be achieved.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.infsof.2021.106746
DO - 10.1016/j.infsof.2021.106746
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85117775940
SN - 0950-5849
VL - 142
JO - Information and Software Technology
JF - Information and Software Technology
M1 - 106746
ER -