Cobackward

Cobackward is a software design approach that aims to preserve interoperability between components that evolve at different rates. It draws on contract-based design, API versioning, and data transformation to enable backward compatibility across interfaces and schemas. The approach centers on explicitly defined compatibility contracts and a mediation layer that can translate requests and responses between versions.

Core concepts include backward-compatibility contracts that declare the supported legacy and current shapes of an interface, along with the transformation rules that map between them. A runtime mediator or adapter layer implements the translations and directs traffic accordingly. A contract registry maintains version visibility and governs when older interfaces can be removed. Schema evolution, feature flags, and automated testing support help manage risk.

Architecture and workflow in Cobackward deployments typically involve client and server adapters, a central contract repository, and a set of transformation services. When a change is proposed, teams update contracts, generate adapters, and route traffic through the mediation layer during a deprecation window. This enables gradual migration without breaking existing clients.

Use cases include public APIs, internal microservices, and event-driven systems where consumers cannot immediately upgrade. Benefits include reduced breaking changes, smoother migrations, and improved uptime. Drawbacks include added complexity, potential performance overhead, and the need for ongoing governance and testing to prevent contract mismatch.

See also API versioning, contract testing, data transformation, and middleware.