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| -rw-r--r-- | spore_description.pod | 194 |
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diff --git a/spore_description.pod b/spore_description.pod index fadfcbe..21e2752 100644 --- a/spore_description.pod +++ b/spore_description.pod @@ -14,163 +14,195 @@ order to be used with a SPORE Client Implementation. =head1 TERMINOLOGY -=over 4 - -=item API +=head2 API An I<API> is a ReST application that can exchange data with client applications over http/https. It presents one or more method endpoints which accept http requests with varying headers, parameters and body content to perform specific operations. -=item Client implementation +=head2 Client Implementation -A I<Client implementation> is a library targeting a specific system or +A I<Client Implementation> is a library targeting a specific system or language. It can use I<Descriptions files> to create programmatic interfaces usable in applications. -=item Description file +=head2 Description File -A I<Description file> is a file in JSON format describing an I<API> (see +A I<Description File> is a file in JSON format describing an I<API> (see specification). It can directly be used by a I<Client implementation> to create a programmatic interface in the target system. -=back +=head2 Payload + +The I<Payload> is the data sent in the body of a POST or PUT request. +The Payload is unrelated to method parameters defined herein. + +=head2 Format + +The I<Format> is the kind of data serialization used for the Payload. =head1 API DESCRIPTION -An API should provide a description file. The description should be in JSON -format. +An API should provide a description file, in JSON format, that conforms with this description. =head2 GENERIC DESCRIPTION -This part describes the API itself: +This part describes the overall API and provides some default values for the +individual method descriptions. -=over 4 +=head3 name -=item B<name> (required) +A required simple name to describe the specification -A simple name to describe the specification + "name" : "CouchDB" - name: CouchDB +=head3 authority -=item B<authority> (optional) +An optional authority of the description -The authority of the description + "authority" : "GITHUB:franckcuny" - authorithy: GITHUB:franckcuny +=head3 base_url -=item B<base_url> (optional) +An optional base URL for the API -If the API has a fixed URL + "base_url" : "http://api.twitter.com/1/" - base_url: http://api.twitter.com/1/ +=head3 formats -=item B<formats> (optional) +A list of supported formats -A list of supported format + "formats" : [ + "json" + "xml" + ] - formats: - - json - - xml +=head3 version -=item B<version> (required) +A mandatory version number of the SPORE description of the API, expressed as a string -The version number of the current description + "version" : "0.1" - version: 0.1 +=head3 authentication -=item B<api_authentication> (optional) +An optional boolean to specify if this API requires authentication for all the methods -A boolean to specify if this API requires authentication for all the methods + "authentication" : true - authentication: true +The default is false. -=item B<methods> (required) +=head3 methods -A list of methods +A mandatory hash of method names and specifications. +See L</METHOD DESCRIPTION>. -=back + "methods" : { ... } -The desciption B<MUST> contain a list of at least one method +The C<methods> hash B<MUST> contain at least one method. =head2 METHOD DESCRIPTION -A method must have a name: +A method must have a name, which is the key in the L</methods> hash - public_timeline + "methods" : { + "public_timeline" : { ... } + } -=over 4 +=head3 method + +The mandatory C<method> attribute specifies the HTTP method to use for this call -=item B<method> (required) + "method" : "GET" -An HTTP method +=head3 path - method: GET +The mandatory C<path> attribute specifies the URI path for this method. -=item B<path> (required) + "path" : "/login" -Path for the given method. The path can contain B<placeholders>. A placeholder +The path can contain I<placeholders>. A placeholder B<MUST> begin with a <:>: - path: /statuses/public_timeline.:format + "path" : "/statuses/public_timeline.:format" -=item B<optional_params> (optional) +XXX How can non-placeholder :foo's be included in the path? ie is there an escape mechanism? +XXX What happens in this example if 'format' isn't listed in params/required? +XXX What happens if a parameter needs to be followed by a word character? ie can something like :{format}foo be used? -A list of optional parameters. This list will be used to replace value in placeholders, and if not used in the path, will be added to the query +=head3 optional_params - optional_params: - - trim_user - - include_entities +An optional list of optional parameters (contrast with L</required_params>). +This list will be used to replace value in placeholders, and if not used in the +path, will be added to the query part of the request URL. -=item B<required_params> (optional) + "optional_params" : [ + "trim_user", + "include_entities" + ] -A list of required parameters. Parameters that are required B<MUST NOT> be repeated in the B<optional_params> field +=head3 required_params - required_params: - - format +An optional list of required parameters (contrast with L</optional_params>). +This list will be used to replace value in placeholders and, if not used in the +path, will be added to the query part of the request URL. -=item B<expected_status> (optional) +Parameters that are required B<MUST NOT> be repeated in the B<optional_params> field -A list of accepted HTTP status for this method + "required" : [ + "format" + ] - expected_status: - - 200 +=head3 expected_status -=item B<description> (optional) +An optional list of accepted HTTP status codes for this method -A simple description for the method. This should not be considered as + "expected" : [ + 200, + 204 + ] + +If C<expected> is specified then an exception will be thrown if the response +status is not in the list. If C<expected> is not specified then an exception +will be thrown if the response status is not in the range 200 thru 299. + +XXX a global default_expected could be handy. + +=head3 description + +An optional simple description for the method. This should not be considered as documentation. - description: Returns the 20 most recent statuses, including retweets if they exist, from non-protected users + "description" : "Returns the 20 most recent statuses, including retweets if they exist, from non-protected users" -=item B<authentication> (optional) +=head3 authentication -A boolean to specify if this method requires authentication +An optional boolean to specify if this method requires authentication - authentication: false + "authentication" : false -=item B<base_url> (optional) +=head3 base_url -Specify an url if this method requires a different api_base_url +An optional base url for this method, if different to the default specified above. base_url: http://api.twitter.com/1/ -=item B<formats> (optional) +XXX might be nice to be able to express this as a relative url (relative to api_base_url) That could be handled at build time. -A list of supported format +=head3 formats - formats: - - json - - xml +An optional list of supported formats -=item B<documentation> (optional) + "format" : [ + "json", + "xml" + ] -A complete documentation for the given method +=head3 documentation - documentation: The public timeline is cached for 60 seconds. Requesting more frequently than that will not return any more data, and will count against your rate limit usage. +Optional detailed documentation for the given method -=back + "documentation" : "The public timeline is cached for 60 seconds. Requesting more frequently than that will not return any more data, and will count against your rate limit usage." =head3 SAMPLE @@ -196,18 +228,14 @@ A description for the twitter API (only the API description part and the first m =head3 CALLS -=head1 CHANGELOGS +XXX -0.1: 2010.10.xx +=head1 CHANGES -=over 4 - -=item * +=head2 0.1 - 2010.10.xx Initial version. -=back - =head1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Some parts of this specification are adopted from the following specifications. @@ -252,6 +280,8 @@ I'd like to thank authors of these great documents. =item François Perrad +=item Tim Bunce + =back =head1 COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE |