Profiling software API usability for consumer electronics

Abstract

To profile an API's 'usability', we suggest easily quantified measures that can be made quickly and without deep thought. As an example, we apply the profiling to a new API, the universal home API, which is designed specifically for usability. The profiles also help to identify how the API may be 'usable' to differently skilled programmers. Profiling an API in this way involves a logical exploration from the viewpoint of the application domain, and that is beneficial as an exercise in itself.