The Secret Life of Schema in Web Protocols, API's and Software Type Systems
In this publication, I describe some of the results of several years’ research and experimentation in the field of Web API Protocols (JSON/XML/Media over HTTP) and Software APIs tracing the migration of ‘Schema’ into software class definitions, annotations, formal and semi-formal markup document types describing their structure and usefulness. Using a specific use case as a representative example, I demonstrate the rationale, steps and results of an experimental proof of concept. The proof of concept utilizes a wide variety of easily available techniques and tools rarely used together in a work-flow to reverse engineer a REST API from its behavior. It involves coupled transformations of data, schema, and software, through multiple representations utilizing tools from otherwise disparate domains to produce a largely auto-generated application to aid in a real world business problems.