twocngdagz / api-development-tools

A collection of useful resources for building RESTful HTTP+JSON APIs.

HTTP API Development Tools

Introduction

This is a collection of useful resources for building RESTful HTTP+JSON APIs. There are a lot of good tools and entire ecosystems out there! It can be overwhelming not knowing what options are available, so you can use this as a reference starting point.

Contributions are most welcome. Categories are also open to suggestions!

Table of Contents

• API Specification Languages
• API Specification Tools
• API Development Tools
• API Client Library Tools
• API Documentation
• API Testing
• API Design Guides
• API Publishing
• API Infrastructure
• API Monitoring
• JSON Format Standards
• REST Learning Resources
• Miscellaneous

API Specification Languages

• API Blueprint
• JSON Schema
• RAML
• Swagger

API Specification Tools

• Swagger Editor: An editor for designing Swagger specifications.
• Dredd: Validate API documentation written in API Blueprint against its backend implementation.

API Development Tools

Ruby

• rails-api: Rails for API only applications.
• pliny: Opinionated template Sinatra app for writing APIs in Ruby.
• grape: An opinionated micro-framework for creating REST-like APIs in Ruby.
• ActiveModel::Serializer: Brings convention over configuration to your JSON generation.
• rabl: Generate JSON and XML from any ruby object.
• jbuilder: Create JSON structures via a Builder-style DSL.

Python

• Django REST framework: Toolkit that makes it easy to build Web APIs.
• Tastypie: Webservice API framework for Django.
• restless: A lightweight REST miniframework for Python.
• flask-restful: Simple framework for creating REST APIs.

Javascript

• hapi.js: Web and services application framework for Node.js.
• node-restify: Node.js REST framework specifically meant for web service APIs.
• expressjs: Fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js.
• sailsjs: Realtime MVC Framework for Node.js.

Go

• Go-Json-Rest

Postgres

• PostgREST: Serve a RESTful API from any existing PostgreSQL database.

API Client Library Tools

General

• Swagger CodeGen: Generate client libraries automatically from a Swagger-compliant server.

Ruby

• heroics: Ruby HTTP client for APIs represented with JSON schema.
• blanket: A Ruby API wrapper.
• nestful: Ruby HTTP/REST client.

API Documentation

• Swagger UI: Dynamically generate documentation from a Swagger-compliant API.
• Slate: Static site generated documentation for your API.
• prmd: JSON Schema tooling: scaffold, verify, and generate documentation from JSON Schema documents.
• Aglio: An API Blueprint renderer with theme support that outputs static HTML.
• Apiary: Collaborative design, instant API mock, generated documentation, integrated code samples, debugging and automated testing.
• Readme: API Documentation Hosting.
• Embed curl: Embeddable curl commands on the web.

API Testing

• Postman: Desktop API testing tool.
• MockBin: Generate mock HTTP endpoints.
• JSON Generator: Generate and host mock JSON data.
• RequestBin: Inspect and debug webhook POST requests.
• Hurl.it: Web-based HTTP client.

API Design Guides

• PayPal API Style Guide
• Heroku Platform HTTP API Design Guide

API Publishing

• Mashape: API Marketplace.

API Infrastructure

• Kong: Open source API Gateway/Middleware layer.
• API Umbrella: Proxy that sits in front of your APIs.

API Monitoring

• Runscope: API Performance Monitoring.

JSON Format Standards

• HAL
• JSONAPI

REST Learning Resources

• REST in Practice
• Roy Fielding's dissertation on REST
• Best Practices for Designing a Pragmatic RESTful API
• How to Design a REST API

Miscellaneous

• HTTP Status Codes Reference

Contributing

Pull Requests are most welcome!

Please write a brief one-sentence summary when adding a new resource.