Backend-as-a-Service API Mapping for REST Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The lack of standardization in RESTful APIs provided by online services necessitates skilled developers to understand and write specific code for each service, leading to increased complexity and programming errors, especially in emerging technology areas like artificial intelligence, where a shortage of experienced developers exacerbates the issue.
Innovation Solution
A backend-as-a-service generates software code to facilitate client applications in interacting with non-standardized HTTP-based RESTful APIs by introspecting the interface contract, providing configuration options, and allowing developers to specify data field mappings and trigger conditions, thereby simplifying the integration process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If developers directly integrate with non-standardized RESTful APIs provided by online services, then they can access the services functionality, but they must have sufficient skill and expertise to analyze and understand each service's interface contract, increasing complexity and programming errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (the system described in the patent) that sits between the client application and the non-standardized RESTful APIs. This intermediary handles the complexity of interface contracts, data format conversions, and API-specific protocols, allowing developers to access online services without directly dealing with their non-standardized interfaces. The intermediary translates high-level service requests into service-specific API calls.
2Reliability
If developers write custom code for each online service's interface contract, then they can precisely interact with each service, but the lack of standardization in RESTful APIs requires skilled developers and exacerbates the shortage of experienced developers in emerging technology areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal interface that can work with multiple different online services through a common set of functions. Instead of requiring developers to write service-specific code for each RESTful API, the system provides a standardized interface that handles multiple services. This multi-functional approach allows a single set of functions to interact with various online services, reducing the skill requirement and making the system easier to operate.
3Adaptability or versatility
If each online service has a different interface contract without standardization, then each service can be optimized for its specific functionality, but there is no standard for data format required to access and exchange data with RESTful APIs provided by various online services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates standardized representations or copies of the interface contracts for various online services. Instead of directly dealing with the complex, non-standardized data formats of each service, the system creates simplified copies or abstractions of these interfaces that follow a consistent structure. This allows data to be exchanged in a standardized format while still maintaining the ability to access service-specific functionalities.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system, and computer-readable medium for enabling a client application to access an online service, such as an online AI service, without requiring the developer of the client application to fully understand the interface contract of the online service and write software code integrating the client application directly with the interface of the online service. In one aspect, the interface contract of the online service is automatically analyzed, and the client application developer is presented with options for configuring the mapping of data fields between the client application or client application database and the online service. Based on the developer's configuration choices, software code is automatically generated for exchanging data between the client application or client application database and the online service. Trigger conditions for the software code may be changes in the database state, predefined events, or requests received from the client application.