System and method for validating a protocol-compliant uniform resource locator

1. A computer-implemented method of creating, at a computer remote from a data service, a uniform resource locator that complies with a RESTful API protocol, said uniform resource locator being a “protocol-compliant” URL, for requesting source data from the data service, the method comprising:

obtaining, from a metadata source, metadata describing source data available from the data service;

generating, with the computer, a draft protocol-compliant uniform resource locator for requesting source data from the data service pursuant to the RESTful API protocol;

presenting said draft uniform resource locator at a URL output device of a graphical user interface;

receiving user edits to the draft uniform resource locator to create a user-edited URL;

identifying errors in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol; and

identifying to the user a set of features in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying to the user a set of features in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol comprises:

graphically accentuating such features, so that the user knows what the user needs to correct in order to produce a specification-compliant URL from the non-compliant URL.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein accentuating features comprises underlining or highlighting such features.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the RESTful API protocol defines a set of formatting requirements, the set of formatting requirement comprising formatting characters for the uniform resource locator for requesting source data from the data service; and

identifying errors in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol comprises identifying errors in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the requirements for formatting characters.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the RESTful API protocol defines a set of formatting requirements, the set of formatting requirement comprising syntax requirements for the uniform resource locator for requesting source data from the data service; and

identifying errors in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol comprises identifying errors in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the syntax requirements.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying errors in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol comprises:

segregating the user-edited URL into a plurality of segments; and

comparing each segment of the plurality of segments against a set of corresponding formatting requirements defined by the RESTful API protocol to identify each segment of the set of segments that does not comply with its corresponding formatting requirements.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating, with the computer, a draft uniform resource locator for requesting source data from the data service pursuant to the RESTful API protocol comprises:

customizing the graphical user interface by populating a set of graphical input devices within the graphical user interface with information specified by the metadata, such that the graphical user interface is configured to solicit and receive user input specifying a set of query options to request, from the data service, data available from the data service;

receiving user input via the graphical user interface, said user input comprising user input specifying a set of query options to request, from the data service, data available from the data service; and

generating the draft protocol-compliant uniform resource locator by application of a set of rules to the user input.

8. A computer-implemented system for creating a uniform resource locator that complies with a RESTful API protocol, said uniform resource locator being a “protocol-compliant” URL, for requesting source data from a data service, the system comprising:

a graphical user interface driver configured to create graphical user interface data to solicit user input from the user;

a GUI data receiver configured to receive, via the graphical user interface, user input to specify source data to be retrieved from the data service; and

a protocol-compliant URL generator configured to apply a set of rules to the user input to produce, from said user input, a protocol-compliant URL;

the graphical user interface driver further configured to present, at a URL output device of a graphical user interface, said protocol-compliant URL;

the graphical user interface driver further configured to receive user edits to the protocol-compliant URL to create a user-edited URL;

the computer configured to identify errors in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol; and

the graphical user interface driver further configured to present, at the URL output device of a graphical user interface, a set of features in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the graphical user interface driver is configured to present, at the URL output device of a graphical user interface, a set of features in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol by graphically accentuating such features, so that the user knows what the user needs to correct in order to produce a specification-compliant URL from the non-compliant URL.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein graphically accentuating features comprises underlining or highlighting such features.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the RESTful API protocol defines a set of formatting requirements, the set of formatting requirement comprising formatting characters for the uniform resource locator for requesting source data from the data service; and

the computer is configured to identify errors in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol by identifying errors in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the requirements for formatting characters.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the RESTful API protocol defines a set of formatting requirements, the set of formatting requirement comprising syntax requirements for the uniform resource locator for requesting source data from the data service; and

the computer is configured to identify errors in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol by identifying errors user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the syntax requirements.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

the computer is configured to identify errors in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol by:

segregating the user-edited URL into a plurality of segments; and

comparing each segment of the plurality of segments against a set of corresponding formatting requirements defined by the RESTful API protocol to identify each segment of the set of segments that does not comply with its corresponding formatting requirements.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein:

the computer is configured to obtain, from a metadata source, metadata describing source data available from the data service;

the graphical user interface driver is configured to create graphical user interface data to solicit user input from the user by:

customizing the graphical user interface by populating a set of graphical input devices within the graphical user interface with information specified by the metadata, such that the graphical user interface is configured to solicit and receive user input specifying a set of query options to request, from the data service, data available from the data service; and

receiving user input via the graphical user interface, said user input comprising user input specifying a set of query options to request, from the data service, data available from the data service.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer code thereon, the computer code configured to be executed by a computer, the computer code comprising:

code for reading, from a metadata source, metadata describing source data available from a data service;

code for customizing a graphical user interface (“GUI”) by populating a set of graphical input devices within the GUI with information specified by the metadata, such that the GUI is configured to solicit and receive user input specifying a set of query options to request, from the data service, data available from the data service;

code for receiving user input via the graphical user interface;

code for generating the protocol-compliant uniform resource locator by application of a set of rules to the user input;

code for presenting, at a URL output device of the graphical user interface, said protocol-compliant uniform resource locator;

code for receiving user edits to the protocol-compliant uniform resource locator to create a user-edited URL;

code for identifying errors in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol; and

code for identifying to the user a set of features in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein code for identifying to the user a set of features in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol comprises:

code for graphically accentuating such features, so that the user knows what the user needs to correct in order to produce a specification-compliant URL from the non-compliant URL.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein accentuating features comprises underlining or highlighting such features.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein

the RESTful API protocol defines a set of formatting requirements, the set of formatting requirement comprising formatting characters for the uniform resource locator for requesting source data from the data service; and

code for identifying errors in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol comprises code for identifying errors user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL fail to comply with the requirements for formatting characters.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein

the RESTful API protocol defines a set of formatting requirements, the set of formatting requirement comprising syntax requirements for the uniform resource locator for requesting source data from the data service; and

code for identifying errors in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol comprises code for identifying errors user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the syntax requirements.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein code for identifying errors in the user-edited URL that cause the user-edited URL to fail to comply with the RESTful API protocol comprises code for:

segregating the user-edited URL into a plurality of segments; and

comparing each segment of the plurality of segments against a set of corresponding formatting requirements defined by the RESTful API protocol to identify each segment of the set of segments that does not comply with its corresponding formatting requirements.