Return a RESOURCE REPRESENTATION

POST / PUT / PATCH

POST?

• HTTP Status Code

• Location Header

Ditch XML

• Verbose

• Hard to read and parse

Google Trends: XML vs JSON API

HATEOAS

HyperText as the Engine of Application State

Discoverability of actions

The WEB does this.

Why not APIs?

Decision at

Run-Time

versus

Code-Time

Pro

or

Contra

Hypermedia APIs

Hypermedia doesn't have to be difficult

HAL

HyperText Application Language

Links on top of JSON

          
            {
              "_links": {
                "attendees": { "href": "..." },
                "speakers": { "href": "..." }
              },
              "id": 9999,
              "date": "2014-03-27"
              "name": "API Strategy Conference"
            }
          
        

Link Relations

Lifeblood of a Hypermedia API

The idea is that a developer can enter into your API, read through documentation for the available links, and then follow-their-nose through the API.