RAML (software)

RAML
Filename extension .raml
Internet media type application/raml+yaml[n 1]
Developed by RAML Workgroup
Latest release
0.8
(October 2, 2013 (2013-10-02)[1])
Extended from YAML
Standard github.com/raml-org/raml-spec/blob/master/raml-0.8.md
Website raml.org

RESTful API Modeling Language (RAML) is a YAML-based language for describing RESTful APIs.[2] It provides all the information necessary to describe RESTful or practically-RESTful APIs. Although designed with RESTful APIs in mind, RAML is capable of describing APIs that do not obey all constraints of REST (hence the description "practically-RESTful"). It encourages reuse, enables discovery and pattern-sharing, and aims for merit-based emergence of best practices.[3]

History

RAML was first proposed in 2013. The initial RAML specification was authored by Uri Sarid, Emiliano Lesende, Santiago Vacas, and Damian Martinez. Development is managed by the RAML Workgroup.[4] The current workgroup signatories include technology leaders from MuleSoft Inc. (Uri Sarid), AngularJS (Misko Hevery, Project Founder), Intuit Inc. (Ivan Lazarov, Chief Enterprise Architect), Box Inc. (Peter Rexer, Senior Platform Product Manager), PayPal Inc. (Jason Harmon, Head of API Design), Programmable Web & API Web Science (John Musser, Founder), Kin Lane (Presidential Innovation Fellow, Department of Veteran Affairs), SOA Software (Tony Gullotta, Director of Technology), and Cisco (Samar Choudary, Lead Architect, Application Integration Service Group). RAML is a trademark of CR7[5]

The current version of RAML is not restricted to strictly RESTful APIs because it would have not applied to almost any existing APIs and not been feasible for most API initiatives to adopt today, so RAML is starting with the basics of RESTful APIs—resources, methods, parameters, and bodies that need not be hypermedia with plans to evolve from there

While RAML could end up being just a proprietary vendor language there are a number of reasons why this language is interesting to the broader API community:[6]

A new organization, under the sponsorship of the Linux Foundation, called the Open API Initiative was set up in 2015 to standardize the description of RESTful APIs. A variety of companies, including Swagger, Google, IBM and Microsoft are founding members.[10][11] Swagger donated the Swagger specification to the new group. RAML and API Blueprint are also under consideration by the group.[12][13]

Example

Start by defining which version of RAML you are using, and then document basic characteristics of your API — the title, version, and baseURI:

1   #%RAML 0.8
2 
3   title: World Music API
4   baseUri: http://example.api.com/{version}
5   version: v1

RAML allows you to define patterns using traits, resourceTypes, and securitySchemes, and then use them within an API to minimize repetition:

 6   traits:
 7     - paged:
 8         queryParameters:
 9           pages:
10             description: The number of pages to return
11             type: number

Externalize those patterns, store them on the web, and import them with an !include:

12     - secured: !include http://raml-example.com/secured.yml

Define resources and methods, then add as much detail as you want. Apply traits and other patterns, or add parameters and other details specific to each call.

13   /songs
14     is: [ paged, secured ]
15     get:
16       queryParameters:
17         genre:
18           description: filter the songs by genre
19     post:
20     /{songId}:
21       get:

Describe expected responses for multiple mime-types and specify schemas and examples for each one. Schemas and examples can be defined in-line, or externalized with !include.

22         responses:
23           200:
24             body:
25               application/json:
26                 schema: |
27                   { "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/schema",
28                     "type": "object",
29                     "description": "A canonical song",
30                     "properties": {
31                       "title":  { "type": "string" },
32                       "artist": { "type": "string" }
33                     },
34                     "required": [ "title", "artist" ]
35                   }
36               application/xml:
37       delete:

Write human-readable, markdown-formatted descriptions throughout the RAML spec, or include entire markdown documentation sections at the root.

38         description: |
39           This method will *delete* an **individual song**

See also

Alternative RESTful Modeling Languages

Notes

  1. ↑ Not registered with IANA

References

  1. ↑ "Announcing RAML | RAML Blog". Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "RAML 0.8". Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "RAML — RESTful API Modeling Language". Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "RAML Workgroup".
  5. ↑ "RAML Branding Policy".
  6. ↑ "Why RAML is More than Another Proprietary Specification". 11 April 2014.
  7. ↑ "API Design Tooling From RAML". 3 March 2014.
  8. ↑ "Anypoint for APIs: An Interview with Uri Sarid". 25 February 2014.
  9. ↑ "An Example of API Design using RAML". 11 April 2014.
  10. ↑ "SmartBear, Linux Foundation launch Open API Initiative to Evolve Swagger". ProgrammableWeb. 2015-11-10. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
  11. ↑ "New Collaborative Project to Extend Swagger Specification for Building Connected Applications and Services". www.linuxfoundation.org. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  12. ↑ Montcheuil, Yves de. "In 2016, the need for an API meta-language will crystallize". InfoWorld. Retrieved 2016-04-25.
  13. ↑ "Amazon API Gateway Now Supports Swagger Definition Import". InfoQ. Retrieved 2016-04-25.

External links

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