System and method for merging specification files for an application programming interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10901729-B2
Application number	US-201916359702-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2019
Priority date	Mar 20, 2019
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

Several API specification files that each include references to code elements that are defined within separate definitions and resources files may be merged together into a single specification for the new API. In this way, specifications for shared code elements that are common across the several specification files may be created without rewriting these specifications each time they are used in an API. A specification merging tool may look for a common reference in the API, match that reference to a definition or resource from the respective definition or resource document, and add that definition or resource to a merged specification file.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A processor-implemented method for creating a merged specification file for a software application, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of application programming interface (API) specifications, each API specification including one or more resources and definitions;
identifying each of the one or more resources and definitions of the plurality of API specifications as either an API resource or an API definition;
receiving a code file corresponding to the software application, the code file including references to at least one of the one or more resources and definitions;
initializing a specification document for the software application;
resolving each of the references of the code file to the respective API resource or API definition of the API specifications; and
adding the respective API resource or API definition of the API specifications to the specification document;
wherein the API resource includes an object and at least one uniform resource identifier and the API definition includes a logical entity that defines how the API definition links to other APIs and expected results in a machine-readable format.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising validating the specification document.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing each API specification within one of an external source directory or an internal source directory.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising grouping related API resources and API definitions, if any, within a common resources and definitions document.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the references includes one or more of an internal definitions reference and an external definitions reference.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the internal definitions reference includes a file name for the specification document, a reference portion, and an internal definitions pointer portion to specify respective one or more definitions of the API specifications added to the specification document.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the external definitions reference includes a reference portion and an external definitions pointer portion to specify the respective one or more definitions of the API specifications added to the specification document.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the references includes one or more of an internal resources reference and an external resources reference.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the internal resources reference includes a reference portion and an internal resources pointer portion to specify the respective one or more resources of the API specifications added to the specification document.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the external resources reference includes a reference portion and an external resources pointer portion to specify the respective one or more resources of the API specifications added to the specification document.

11. A system for creating a merged specification file for a software application, the system comprising:
a processor and memory hosting an application development system; and
a database coupled to the processor and the memory, the database storing a plurality of application programming interface (API) specifications, each API specification including one or more resources and definitions, and a code file corresponding to the software application, the code file including references to at least one of the one or more resources and definitions;
wherein the memory includes instructions that are executable by the processor for:
identifying each of the one or more resources and definitions of the plurality of API specifications as either an API resource or an API definition;
initializing a specification document for the software application;
resolving each of the references of the code file to the respective API resource or API definition of the API specifications; and
adding the respective API resource or API definition of the API specifications to the specification document;
wherein the API resource includes an object and at least one uniform resource identifier and the API definition includes a logical entity that defines how the API definition links to other APIs and expected results in a machine-readable format.

12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for validating the specification document.

13. The system of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for storing each API specification within one of an external source directory or an internal source directory.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for grouping related API resources and API definitions, if any, within a common resources and definitions document.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the references includes one or more of an internal definitions reference and an external definitions reference.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the internal definitions reference includes a file name for the specification document, a reference portion, and an internal definitions pointer portion to specify respective one or more definitions of the API specifications added to the specification document.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the external definitions reference includes a reference portion and an external definitions pointer portion to specify the respective one or more definitions of the API specifications added to the specification document.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the references includes one or more of an internal resources reference and an external resources reference, wherein the internal resources reference includes a reference portion and an internal resources pointer portion to specify the respective one or more resources of the API specifications added to the specification document, and the external resources reference includes a reference portion and an external resources pointer portion to specify the respective one or more resources of the API specifications added to the specification document.

Assignees

• Singh Richa
• Godolja Elsi
• Gupta Anurag
• Amara Sebastian
• Visa Int Service Ass

Inventors

• Singh Richa
• Godolja Elsi
• Gupta Anurag
• Amara Sebastian

Classifications

• G06F8/73 Primary

  Program documentation · CPC title

• G06F8/10 Primary

  Requirements analysis; Specification techniques · CPC title