restschema

restschema is a specification for describing the structure and constraints of data used in RESTful APIs. It aims to provide a standardized way to define API schemas, facilitating better documentation, validation, and tooling. Think of it as a blueprint for the JSON or XML payloads that an API expects to receive and send.

The primary goal of restschema is to improve interoperability between different systems and developers. By having a shared understanding of the data format, clients can more easily integrate with APIs, and API providers can ensure their data adheres to defined standards. This reduces ambiguity and the potential for errors during data exchange.

restschema enables developers to define data types, required fields, default values, and validation rules for API requests and responses. This includes specifying formats for strings, numbers, booleans, arrays, and objects, as well as more complex constraints like regular expressions or range checks.

Tools can leverage restschema definitions to automatically generate client libraries, server stubs, and interactive API documentation. This automation significantly speeds up the development process and improves the overall quality of API implementations. It also aids in testing and debugging by providing a clear reference for expected data structures.