API Specification Include Files for Cross-Service Reuse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current approaches for enabling a service within an enterprise to use functions provided by another service involve repetitive copying and manual modification of API specification descriptions, leading to errors, inefficiency, and increased maintenance complexity due to diverging descriptions across multiple services.
Innovation Solution
The use of an 'include file' that contains a detailed description of a function, which is identified and added to the API specification of the service, along with resource-specific scope portions, allowing automated processing to generate a final API specification without repeated copying, thus reducing errors and maintenance efforts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If function descriptions are copied manually into multiple API specifications, then services can reuse functions, but duplication and errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses automated copying of function descriptions through include files. Instead of manual copying, the system automatically includes the original function description from the first service's API specification into the second service's API specification, eliminating human errors in copying while maintaining reusability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing system that automatically handles the copying and integration of function descriptions. This intermediary system validates and merges the included function descriptions with the target service's API specification, ensuring accuracy and consistency without manual intervention
2Adaptability or versatility
If function descriptions are copied and modified for multiple resources, then functions can be applied to different resources, but maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the API specification into reusable function description units (include files) and resource-specific configuration portions. This segmentation allows the function description to be maintained in one location while being applied to multiple resources through parameter substitution, reducing maintenance complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates universal function description templates that can be applied to multiple resources. The include files contain generic function definitions that work across different resource types, with resource-specific details provided through scope portions, eliminating the need to maintain separate function descriptions for each resource
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple copies of function descriptions are made, then functions can be used across services, but divergence and errors creep in
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges all function description copies into a single source of truth - the include file. Instead of maintaining multiple separate copies that can diverge, the system includes the original function description once and references it across multiple service API specifications, ensuring consistency while enabling cross-service functionality
4Adaptability or versatility
If changes are made to function descriptions in multiple places, then updates can be applied, but the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prepares function descriptions in advance as reusable include files with standardized templates. When updates are needed, the system automatically retrieves the updated include file and propagates changes to all services that depend on it, eliminating the need to manually update multiple separate copies and significantly reducing update time
Data Source
AI summary
A technique is disclosed that facilitates the efficient creation and processing of an API specification for a service. The technique enables a particular service within an enterprise to use a function provided by another service within the enterprise in the API specification associated with the particular service, where the description of the function is not copied into the API specification. In certain embodiments, an include file is created that comprises a description of the function. The include file is identified and provided in the API specification of the particular service. An API specification generation system then processes the API specification comprising the include file to generate a final API specification for the service. The final API specification is provided via a user interface of a computing device.