Difference between revisions of "stoney core: REST API (Technical Requirements and Implementation)"
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Base for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsive_web_design responsive] respectively [http://www.abookapart.com/products/mobile-first Mobile First] Web-Applications/-Design. | Base for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsive_web_design responsive] respectively [http://www.abookapart.com/products/mobile-first Mobile First] Web-Applications/-Design. | ||
| − | = REST API = | + | = REST API Requirements = |
* Non-Core API's must be able to be added without modifying the core-API. | * Non-Core API's must be able to be added without modifying the core-API. | ||
* Repository organisation: | * Repository organisation: | ||
Revision as of 14:10, 30 December 2013
Why a REST API?
Separation and abstraction of presentation (Self-Service Modules) and business logic (Mapping (LDAP - JSON)).
- Faster development and test cycles for the business logic.
- Smaller development packages.
- Distribution of development packages to different suppliers.
Support for multiple clients with the same code base:
- HTML/JS/CSS for [:Category:Self-Service Modules|Self-Service Modules]] like stoney conductor or stoney backup.
- Command line interface (CLI) for easy scripting.
- Integration into third party provisioning systems for resellers and partners.
Automatic testing of functionality.
Base for responsive respectively Mobile First Web-Applications/-Design.
REST API Requirements
- Non-Core API's must be able to be added without modifying the core-API.
- Repository organisation:
- One repository per resource?
- Access to the the repositories?
- The REST API will be implemented as a first-class citizen
- It provides all the available functions and data to its clients
- Serves as a data and business logic abstraction layer
- The REST API will be implemented using HTTPS and REST principles
- Clients are required to validate the certificate (at least via CA)
- The REST API uses JSON as the primary data interchange format (serialization of data structures should be abstracted), other formats should be possible in the future.
- Authentication via Basic HTTP-Auth
- Multiple authentication methods can be added in the future (possibly Web-Server assisted):
- X509 Certificate based authentication
- Kerberos
- API key with shared secret
- Access tokens
- OAuth
- versioned API:
- starting with one version number in the URI, for example: https://api.selfcare.com/v1/customer , corresponding to the major version in SemVer
- minor version will be added via Request-Header-Field in future (as-needed)
- All API calls need to be fully nonblocking. If an expensive call has to be made to a backend system, the client needs to be provided with a status URI which can be checked for the current status or preferably be notified via WebSockets.
- Input validation must be performed for all data (validation of data happens twice: in the API and the client)
- JSON (or XML) validation has to be done before everything else and the client needs to be informed if he passed invalid syntax (see function.json-last-error and function.json-last-error-msg)
- Meaningful error message will be presented to the client
- All API functions are to be documented using an accepted documentation standard (doxygen (preferred), phpDocumentor or Sami)
- The API will be based on existing, proven and tested open source modules and components, coming either from a framework are as stand alone implementations,
- On the Yii PHP Framework Homepage: Extensions tagged with "rest"
- On the Yii PHP Framework Homepage: RestfullYii or on GitHub: RestfullYii
- On the Yii PHP Framework Homepage: Extensions tagged with "api"
- yii-apiauth
