An instruction manual or step-by-step guide on how to make the model.
It explains the expected behaviour.
Let's imagine that building an API is like constructing something using Lego bricks.What is an API Specification?
In this analogy, a Swagger API spec is like the instruction manual that comes with a Lego set. It provides step-by-step guidance on how to assemble the bricks to create a specific structure.
Here's how the analogy works:
Lego Set: The API itself is like a collection of Lego bricks. Each brick represents a specific functionality or resource that the API provides, such as retrieving user information or posting a new comment.
Instruction Manual: The Swagger API spec is like the instruction manual that tells you how to connect the Lego bricks together. It describes the different steps and arrangements needed to build something meaningful with the Lego bricks.
Steps and Operations: Just as the instruction manual breaks down the construction process into individual steps, the Swagger API spec outlines the various operations or actions you can perform with the API. Each operation is like a step in the instruction manual, guiding you on how to interact with the API to achieve a specific outcome.
Bricks and Parameters: Lego bricks can have different shapes, colors, and sizes. Similarly, the Swagger API spec defines different parameters and data types required for each operation. It specifies what kind of input data the API expects, such as numbers, text, or specific formats.
Connectors and Endpoints: Lego bricks can be interconnected using connectors, such as studs and sockets. In the same way, the Swagger API spec defines endpoints, which are like connectors that represent different paths or URLs through which you can access specific functionalities of the API. Each endpoint is associated with a specific set of Lego bricks (operations) that can be used together.
Lego Set Description: The Swagger API spec includes a description that provides an overview of what the API does, just like the Lego set box might have a description or picture of the final structure you can build.
By following the instructions provided in the Swagger API spec, developers can assemble the API's "Lego bricks" in the correct order and configuration, ensuring that different software systems can communicate and interact effectively, just as Lego bricks fit together to create amazing structures.
