In this presentation we discuss the decisions that brought us to API development and why we focus just on delivering solutions around this technology. We discuss the implications of organizational learning and defining a systematic approach to API development with the goal of being able to automate as much as we can of the software development process. Eventually, we discuss the implementation choices we have made to accommodate advanced REST API requirements and the need to extend existing tooling.

1. Battlefield REST
API's from the trenches
Daniel Cerecedo
@dcerecedo

2. Agenda
StrategicDrivers
TacticalChoices
Language
Frameworkdilemma
Tools
Downtothetrenches
URIs
Representations
Hypermedia
Views
Updates&Concurrency
NextSteps
@dcerecedoByteflair

3. Strategic Drivers
@dcerecedoByteflair

4. Strategic Drivers
Agility&Flexibility
Heraclitus
@dcerecedoByteflair
“Thereisnothing
permanentbutchange”

5. Strategic Drivers
Growth
@dcerecedoByteflair

6. Strategic Drivers
RESTful Web Services
@dcerecedoByteflair

7. Strategic Drivers
Servicedependability
Timetomarket
Quality
@dcerecedoByteflair

8. Strategic Drivers
Puttingitalltogether
@dcerecedoByteflair
Quality
Dependability
Speed
Cost

9. Strategic Drivers
Jackofalltrades,
Masterofnone
Achievingdependability
@dcerecedoByteflair

10. Strategic Drivers
Climbfaster,deliverfaster
@dcerecedoByteflair
Automate

11. Strategic Drivers
Puttingitalltogether
@dcerecedoByteflair
DevelopmentCosts
#ProjectsExecuted
Every time output is doubled
cost per unit falls by 15%

12. “1.000 days to
develop,
10.000 days to
polish”
@dcerecedoByteflair
Miyamoto Mushashi

13. Tactical Choices
@dcerecedoByteflair

14. @dcerecedoByteflair
“Weapons should be adapted to
your personal qualities and be
one you can handle”
Tactical Choices
Miyamoto Mushashi

15. Tactical Choices
Java&Spring
@dcerecedoByteflair
Community,Availability&QualityofLibraries
Scalability&Deployability
ObjectOriented&TypeSafe
Wearealreadygoodatit

16. Tactical Choices
@dcerecedoByteflair
Here,wedoitthe
PHPway

17. Tactical Choices
@dcerecedoByteflair
SpeedFlexibility
Theframeworkdilemma

18. Tactical Choices
@dcerecedoByteflair
Tools
Swagger
Postman

19. “It is
deplorable to
die with
weapons left in
their
scabbards”
@dcerecedoByteflair
Miyamoto Mushashi

20. Down to the trenches
@dcerecedoByteflair

21. URIs
@dcerecedoByteflair

22. URIs
Whatistheresource?
/collection/{id}
Default
@dcerecedoByteflair

23. URIs
Whatistheresource?
/collection;id={id}
/collection;slug={slug}
/collection/{id};field={fieldName}
MultipleId's
@dcerecedoByteflair

24. URIs
BhasuniqueidswithinA
Bhasuniversaluniqueids
A B
1 N
Nesting
@dcerecedoByteflair

25. URIs
Whatistheresourceandcontext?
/collection_a/{aid}/collection_b/{bid}
A B
1 N
Nesting–UniqueId'swithinA
@dcerecedoByteflair

26. URIs
Whatistheresourceandcontext?
/collection_a/{aid}/collection_b/
/collection_a/{aid}/collection_b/{bid}
/collection_b/{bid}
A B
1 N
Nesting–UniversalUniqueId's
@dcerecedoByteflair

27. URIs
Whyprovidecontextto
universalid's?
FasterqueriesinNoSQL
(nested docs)
{ }
@dcerecedoByteflair

28. URIs
A B
N N
Nesting–UniversalUniqueId's
A C
1 N
B
1 N
@dcerecedoByteflair
...andapplythesamerecipe
...normalize...

29. URIs
Nesting–AnoteonUsers
@dcerecedoByteflair
/users/{uid}/collection_b/{bid}
Fortheconnecteduser:
/collection_b/{bid}

30. URIs
Calculations
@dcerecedoByteflair
Createaficticiousresource

31. Representation
@dcerecedoByteflair

32. Representation
HTTPStatusCode
HTTPHeaders
HTTPResponseBody
OverloadingHTTP
@dcerecedoByteflair

33. Representation
HTTPStatusCode
Success Error
IdentifyingResponseOutcome
@dcerecedoByteflair

34. Representation
HTTPStatusprovidescontext
ResponseBodyprovidesdetail
{
“code”: 123,
“message”:“sourceoftheproblem”,
“hint”:“givemewaystoovercomethisobstacle”
}
Error
@dcerecedoByteflair

35. Representation
{
“error”:null,
“data”:{…}
}
Error
{
“error”:{…},
“data”:null
}
NO
@dcerecedoByteflair

36. Representation
{
“field_a”:“value”,
“field_b”:value,
...}
Success
@dcerecedoByteflair
[
{…},
{…},
...]

37. Representation
{
“size”:7,
“data”:[
{…},
{…},
...
]
}
Error
NO
@dcerecedoByteflair

38. Representation
Ifthereisnoneedtowrapresponses
Don'tdoit
@dcerecedoByteflair

39. Representation
HTTPHeaders
Elementsinthearray
Anymetadataaboutthecurrentresponse
@dcerecedoByteflair
Metadata

40. Representation
@dcerecedoByteflair
ExpansionandProjections
Don't be opinionated about the
client

41. Representation
@dcerecedoByteflair
Views

42. Representation
@dcerecedoByteflair
Updates&Concurrency

43. Hypermedia
@dcerecedoByteflair

44. Hypermedia
@dcerecedoByteflair
SHOW ME
THE MONEY

45. Hypermedia
@dcerecedoByteflair
URI'sareId's
“id”: “5ef321”
“id”:{
“_link”:“http://api.domain.com/collection/5ef321”
}
“id”: “http://api.domain.com/collection/5ef321”

46. Hypermedia
@dcerecedoByteflair
Referencing
“author”:{
“_link”:“http://api.domain.com/users/5ef321”
}
“messages”:[{
“_link”:“http://api.domain.com/picks/3976dh
},
{
“_link”:“http://api.domain.com/picks/3976dh
},...]

47. Hypermedia
HTTPHeaders
Paginationlinks
Linktothecreatedresource
@dcerecedoByteflair
Metadata

48. Moving On
@dcerecedoByteflair

49. @dcerecedoByteflair
“Be victorious
today
over what you
were
yesterday”
Miyamoto Mushashi

50. ?
Daniel Cerecedo
@dcerecedo