apigee LogoWant a more effective way of testing out how the Facebook Graph API functions? While you can currently use CURL to run basic tests, Apigee has launched a new service that enables developers to do quick testing of the entire API without having to deal with much of the OAuth authentication process. After taking a look at the product, I have to admit that this is a real time saver for any developers who haven’t already built a testing platform of their own.

Personally I had never heard of Apigee before, however the company’s existing product offerings are pretty useful. They enable developers to monitor the status of APIs that they are interacting with and watch for any inconsistencies. Any large application developer has already built their own in house tools for basic monitoring of existing APIs that they are interacting with, including Facebook’s.

Right now their are a lot of disconnected analytics and monitoring services available for developers, and while we’d imagine many of these to eventually consolidate, right now the key is knowing which companies are offering the best services for developers. On the other end, apigee also helps API providers monitor usage of their APIs and provide quotas for developers as to limit any excessive calls from large developers. Right now the API limiting is globally applicable, although they’ll soon have IP-based filtering in the near future.

The bottom line is that apigee can help both API producers and consumers have a more efficient experience. If you are a Facebook developer, you can use the company’s test console to explore the API experience. If you want to learn more, check out the video below as well as read more details on the company’s site.