API Definition Files, Tools, and Documentation (OAS 2.0)
The Open API Specification (often called “Swagger”) is currently the most popular way to create definitions of RESTful APIs. With these definitions, you can create sophisticated, autogenerated documentation, generate SDKs in several languages, and do automated testing. Swagger is a set of open source tools that use these Open API Specification definition files.
What you’ll learn
- Read and write Open API Specification (Swagger) files to define and document APIs.
- Use Swagger tools to edit files, create documentation, and create SDKs.
- Understand alternatives to Swagger and OAS..
Course Content
- Introduction –> 3 lectures • 19min.
- Open API Specification –> 5 lectures • 35min.
- Tools and Alternatives –> 5 lectures • 11min.
Requirements
The Open API Specification (often called “Swagger”) is currently the most popular way to create definitions of RESTful APIs. With these definitions, you can create sophisticated, autogenerated documentation, generate SDKs in several languages, and do automated testing. Swagger is a set of open source tools that use these Open API Specification definition files.
This class is for people in the software industry who are fairly technical, but are not software developers: for example, project managers, API product managers, and technical writers. It assumes that you understand REST and JSON, but that’s about all. It is meant to be for people who are new to the Open API Specification and Swagger, rather than for experts. It covers:
- What you can do with Open API Specification (OAS) files
- The YAML file format
- How to create an OAS file
- How to specify security
- How to add documentation
- How to write an OAS file in JSON
- Alternatives to Swagger and OAS
This class does not cover:
- How to set up Swagger on your own server
- How to modify Swagger open source code
In addition to videos, this course contains 8 hands-on exercises that lead you step-by-step in creating an API definition file, including a final project where you create a file from scratch using documentation from an actual commercial API. It also contains a document with resources on learning more about OAS, Swagger, and alternatives.
In addition to the video lectures, expect to spend at least 4 hours doing the exercises. These exercises are key to understanding Swagger and OAS.
Important: The course uses OAS 2. A newer version, OAS 3, is starting to be used more, but many companies are still using OAS 2. There is a lecture that points you to the differences between OAS 2 and OAS 3.