System and method for implementing an API validator tool
The invention relates to an API Validator that allows developers to rate their Open API Specification (e.g., swagger files, API contracts) based on the standards for building APIs. The tool may parse the contract and look for compliance (or non-compliance) with the standards, using algorithms. A detailed report and overall score is presented to the developer once the contract has been checked. An embodiment of the present is directed to a plug-in that enables metrics generation as part of an automated build process. An embodiment of the present invention provides an integration process that enables a developer or other user to automatically resolve validation issues identified with APIs.
1. An Application Program Interface (API) Validator Tool comprising:
a first input coupled with a processor, configured to receive an API definition;
a second input configured to receive API standards data;
an API Registry component that stores and manages available APIs developed by one or more API developers, wherein the API Registry comprises API validation scores;
an API Validator plug-in executing on a build platform and configured to perform the steps of:
receive a trigger API test;
determine whether an API exists;
extract an API Specification from the API Registry wherein the API Validator plug-in parses the API Specification to identify the API definition;
perform an API quality validation, wherein the validation is based on a comparison of the API Standards data with the API Specification and
generate API status response message.
2. The API Validator Tool of claim 1 , further comprising a metrics collection component.
3. The API Validator Tool of claim 1 , wherein the API quality validation comprises the steps of:
generating a set of validators; and
identifying a score for each of the set of validators.
4. The API Validator Tool of claim 3 , wherein the API quality validation comprises the step of:
communicating, via an API Validator interface, the set of validators with corresponding scores.
5. The API Validator Tool of claim 3 , wherein the API standards data comprises: API Convention, API Design, API Security, and API Data.
6. The API Validator Tool of claim 3 , wherein the set of validators comprises: Verb Validator, Encryption Validator, Entity Versioning Validator, Heartbeat Validator, Payload Schema Validator, Response Codes Validator, Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) Design Validator and URI Versioning Validator.
7. The API Validator Tool of claim 1 , wherein the API Registry comprises a collection of representational state transfer (REST) APIs.
8. The API Validator Tool of claim 1 , wherein the API quality validation is performed during a build process.
9. A method for implementing an Application Program Interface (API) Validator Tool comprising the steps of:
receiving a trigger API test;
receiving API Standards data;
determining whether an API exists;
extracting an API Specification from an API Registry, wherein the API Registry stores and manages available APIs developed by one or more API developers and further comprises API validation scores, and wherein the API Validator tool parses an API Specification to identify an API definition;
performing, via an API Validator plug-in, an API quality validation by comparing the API Standards data with the API Specification, wherein the API Validator plug-in executes on a build platform; and
generating API status response message.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the API is validated based on the API Specification and the API Standards data.
11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of: performing a metrics collection.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of:
generating a set of validators; and
identifying a score for each of the set of validators.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of:
communicating, via an API Validator interface, the set of validators with corresponding scores.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the API standards data comprises: API Convention, API Design, API Security, and API Data.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the set of validators comprises: Verb Validator, Encryption Validator, Entity Versioning Validator, Heartbeat Validator, Payload Schema Validator, Response Codes Validator, Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) Design Validator and URI Versioning Validator.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the API Registry comprises a collection of representational state transfer (REST) APIs.
17. The method of claim 9 , wherein the API quality validation is performed during a build process.
18. An Application Program Interface (API) Validator Tool comprising:
a first input configured to receive an API definition;
a second input configured to receive API standards data;
an API Validator interface configured to display validation data;
a processor, coupled to the first input, the second input and the API Validator interface, configured to perform the steps of:
parsing an API Specification to identify the API definition and parsing the API definition to identify compliance with the API standards data;
generating a set of validators;
identifying a score for each of the set of validators; and
communicating, via the API Validator interface, the set of validators with corresponding scores.
19. The API Validator Tool of claim 18 , wherein the API standards data comprises: API Convention, API Design, API Security, and API Data.
20. The API Validator Tool of claim 18 , wherein the set of validators comprises: Verb Validator, Encryption Validator, Entity Versioning Validator, Heartbeat Validator, Payload Schema Validator, Response Codes Validator, URI Design Validator and URI Versioning Validator.