I've been using Drupal for a couple of years now, and know my way around it pretty well.
One of my biggest frustrations though is that it doesn't really have an API.
Much of the functionality is only really available through the application, you can do things pretty easily by pointing and clicking, but try and automate part of this and you have to step through code, find form handlers, copy-paste parts of the functions and work out what parameters are required.
The example I found most recently was creating a translated version of a page.
My client is using a translation agency, we send them XML, they translate it and return the translated text in XML.
So I start with an English page, send off an XML version, and when I get the XML translation back I need to add a new node related to the original.
But Drupal has no function "translation_add()" instead the functionality is embedded in "translation_nodapi()".
If Drupal had an API there would be a well thought out set of functions to add, delete, and update translations of a node.
The name of Drupal's documentation site http://api.drupal.org/ is misleading, this is just general documentation of Drupal functions, it isn't an API.
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Interesting point
I think you're being a little harsh, but I see where you're coming from. Perhaps the separation of core from features will help. You should see Jeff Eaton's comments about it on my blog:
http://www.drupaler.co.uk/blog/framework-product-or-both/438#comment-250
Ps - hope you're well! I haven't been in London for ages, but will ring you for a beer when I am. And if you find yourself in the south of France, drop by! Good walking in the Cevennes, not far from me. ;-)
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if there is a Drupal API - where is it documented?
api.drupal.org is just a complete(ish) documentation of all Drupal functions.
It even includes "private" functions http://api.drupal.org/api/function/_translation_tab_access/6
I'm not saying that Drupal "ought" to have an API - but let's be honest about where it is now....
Drupal development means using the GUI - with all the problems that brings for team working, deployment, rollback, testing etc.
and whenever you want to step outside of existing functionality (e.g. using a translation service) you have to go direct to the database.
See also http://walkah.net/blog/walkah/why-i-hate-drupal
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No API to add a file to a node
Another example...
There are no functions to add a files to a node.
This function in the devel module shows how to achieve the result.
devel_generate_add_upload
But in the Drupal way - you have to insert directly into the database.
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