In reply to Peter Grafton.

Hey Pete!
Programming bunny, huh? :-)
I think the first thing to get excited about is the power and function enabled by the specific API. It's not that you can do exactly the same things - no more, no less - with an API, but that there is some fundamental change to the capability. For instance, what did you find the DC APIC that got you excited, and how much was that like the old CLI methods of building a DC?

For APIC-EM, I'd suggested getting into the API in depth, even without using Python, and working through some of the depths of features. For instance, just grab the always-on APIC-EM Sandbox here at DevNet, and get into the API in more depth, just using Postman to make API calls. Or even just read through the API doc a little more. https://developer.cisco.com/site/apic-em/ You might see some data points available only because APIC-EM already centralized and processes many facts about the network, for example, topology info, ACL analyses, and so on. And you don't have to learn Python to kick those tires - just take an hour or two with Postman + a DevNet Sandbox, or even the APIC-EM API doc!

Let me know how it goes! Good to hear from you.
Wendell