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Self Descriptive HTTP API in ASP.NET Core: Hypermedia

This post is in my Self Descriptive HTTP API in ASP.NET Core series. It demonstrates how to design an HTTP API like a regular HTML website. Bringing the concepts of links and actions to your API allows your clients to consume it with ease. If you’re new to this series, here are earlier posts to get up to speed: Intro Object as Resource Hypermedia You probably have already heard the term hypermedia before.  Hypermedia and Hypertext are nothing new.  They were both coined in the 60’s by Ted Nelson. You’ve definitely used hypermedia in the form of HTML. HTML has a great… Read More »Self Descriptive HTTP API in ASP.NET Core: Hypermedia

Self Descriptive HTTP API in ASP.NET Core: Object as Resource

In my opening post I went over some of the issues I encountered when initially developing an HTTP API.  In this post I’m going to cover some of those pain points and what I think the solution was. Objects The first pain point revolves around the idea of your HTTP API returning objects.  Meaning you serialize an object to JSON and return to the client. This seems pretty typical.   Almost every example you find in regards to Web API describes this behavior. Here’s an example of what this looks like: View the code on Gist. We’re doing nothing more than… Read More »Self Descriptive HTTP API in ASP.NET Core: Object as Resource

Building a Self Descriptive HTTP API in ASP.NET Core

We have all been doing “web services” forever.  My first introduction was in the late 90’s with XML-RPC and WDDX.  Followed up soon after with SOAP.  Good times.  Oh and remember WS-*.  Don’t remind me. Why? Over the last couple years, I’ve really taken an interest in HTTP APIs. I’ve been meaning to post about my experiences developing an HTTP APIs.  It’s been an interesting last couple of years and I think there is quiet a bit to share. Issues I can only speak from my experiences and give some of the context about my situations.  Hopefully you can relate and… Read More »Building a Self Descriptive HTTP API in ASP.NET Core