building an api in rails without realizing it

Rails APIsMonday, February 25, 13

@markbates

Monday, February 25, 13

http://www.metacasts.tv

CONFOO2013

Rails APIsMonday, February 25, 13

Rails APIsWeb

you’re probably doing it wrong

Don’t Panic!

most APIs are an after thought

we can prevent that!

3 simple rules for building an API

1. consume your own API

2. document your API

3. version your API

building the API

SOAMonday, February 25, 13

Service Oriented Architecture

SOA Pros

• Scales Easily

SOA Pros

• Scales Easily

• Separate Concerns/Very Clean

SOA Pros

• Scales Easily

• Can be easier to maintain

SOA Pros

• Scales Easily

• Solid Architecture

SOA Pros

• Scales Easily

• Solid Architecture

• Easier to refactor/rebuild

SOA Cons

• Can be more difficult to maintain

SOA Cons

• More complex deploys

SOA Cons

• Managing several applications

SOA Cons

• Potential for ‘out-of-sync’ apps

SOA Cons

• Potential for ‘out-of-sync’ apps

• More difficult to test integration

API Client

Client

API Client

Client

Service 1

Service 2

Service 3

a quick detour

Rails encourages poor API design!

class TodosController < ApplicationController # GET /todos # GET /todos.json def index @todos = Todo.all respond_to do |format| format.html # index.html.erb format.json { render json: @todos } end end # GET /todos/1 # GET /todos/1.json def show @todo = Todo.find(params[:id]) respond_to do |format| format.html # show.html.erb format.json { render json: @todo } end end # GET /todos/new # GET /todos/new.json def new @todo = Todo.new respond_to do |format| format.html # new.html.erb format.json { render json: @todo } end end # GET /todos/1/edit def edit @todo = Todo.find(params[:id]) end

# POST /todos # POST /todos.json def create @todo = Todo.new(params[:todo]) respond_to do |format| if @todo.save format.html { redirect_to @todo, notice: 'Todo was successfully created.' } format.json { render json: @todo, status: :created, location: @todo } else format.html { render action: "new" } format.json { render json: @todo.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity } end end end # PUT /todos/1 # PUT /todos/1.json def update @todo = Todo.find(params[:id]) respond_to do |format| if @todo.update_attributes(params[:todo]) format.html { redirect_to @todo, notice: 'Todo was successfully updated.' } format.json { head :no_content } else format.html { render action: "edit" } format.json { render json: @todo.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity } end end end # DELETE /todos/1 # DELETE /todos/1.json def destroy @todo = Todo.find(params[:id]) @todo.destroy respond_to do |format| format.html { redirect_to todos_url } format.json { head :no_content } end endend

Don’t Scaffold!

class TodosController < ApplicationController def index @todos = Todo.all end def show @todo = Todo.find(params[:id]) end def new @todo = Todo.new end def edit @todo = Todo.find(params[:id]) end def create @todo = Todo.new(params[:todo]) if @todo.save redirect_to @todo, notice: 'Todo was successfully created.' else render action: "new" end end def update @todo = Todo.find(params[:id]) if @todo.update_attributes(params[:todo]) redirect_to @todo, notice: 'Todo was successfully updated.' else render action: "edit" end end def destroy @todo = Todo.find(params[:id]) @todo.destroy redirect_to todos_path, notice: 'Todo was successfully destroyed.' endend

class TodosController < ApplicationController inherit_resourcesend

https://github.com/josevalim/inherited_resources

Inherited Resources

class Api::V1::TodosController < ApplicationController respond_to :json before_filter do request.format = :json end def index @todos = Todo.all respond_with @todos end def show @todo = Todo.find(params[:id]) respond_with @todo end def create @todo = Todo.new(params[:todo]) if @todo.save respond_with @todo else render json: @todo.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity end end def update @todo = Todo.find(params[:id]) if @todo.update_attributes(params[:todo]) respond_with @todo else render json: @todo.errors, status: :unprocessable_entity end end def destroy @todo = Todo.find(params[:id]) @todo.destroy head :no_content endend

Api::V1::TodosController

version your API!

/api/v1/todos

i prefer URL versioning

others prefer header versioning

just pick one and stick with it!

SOA Review

• We’ve cleaned up our code

SOA Review

• We know the API Works

SOA Review

• We know the API Works

• We’re now in a good place to scale

consuming the API

don’t use Rails views

JavaScript

CORSMonday, February 25, 13

Cross-origin Resource Sharing

https://github.com/cyu/rack-cors

rack-cors

module YourApp class Application < Rails::Application # ... config.middleware.use Rack::Cors do allow do origins '*' resource '*', headers: :any, methods: [:get, :post, :put, :delete, :options] end end end

JavaScript Pros

• Scales Easily/Pushes processing to client side

JavaScript Pros

• “Responsive/Native” feel for clients

JavaScript Pros

• “Responsive/Native” feel for clients

• Easily consumes your API

JavaScript Cons

JavaScript Cons• Can be more difficult to maintain

• Multiple languages (backend/front-end)

• Difficult to test integration

• JavaScript

• Paradigm shift in architecture

• JavaScript

• Accessibility issues

• JavaScript

• SEO concerns

• JavaScript

• SEO concerns

• !!Internet Explorer!!

pick a framework

don’t just use jQuery

the big three

Backbone.js

http://backbonejs.org/

http://emberjs.com/

Angular.js

http://angularjs.org/

i can’t use JavaScript

2 approaches

“compiled” sites

build your own API library (and open source it!)

class TodosController < ApplicationController def index @todos = ApiLib::Todo.all end def show @todo = ApiLib::Todo.find(params[:id]) end def new @todo = ApiLib::Todo.new end def edit @todo = ApiLib::Todo.find(params[:id]) end def create @todo = ApiLib::Todo.new(params[:todo]) if @todo.save redirect_to @todo, notice: 'Todo was successfully created.' else render action: "new" end end def update @todo = ApiLib::Todo.find(params[:id]) if @todo.update_attributes(params[:todo]) redirect_to @todo, notice: 'Todo was successfully updated.' else render action: "edit" end end def destroy @todo = ApiLib::Todo.find(params[:id]) @todo.destroy redirect_to todos_path, notice: 'Todo was successfully destroyed.' endend

hey! there is duplicate* code

is there? or did we just move it

around?

Todo became ApiLib::Todo

we now have a reference

implementation

make sure to cache!!

The HackMonday, February 25, 13

Please don’t do this!

I’m Serious.

Don’t use this hack!

I probably shouldn’t even show you it.

Ok, I’ll show you, but don’t tell

people where you heard it.

class TodosController < ApplicationController def index res = Api::V1::TodosController.action(:index).call(env) @todos = JSON.parse(res[2].body).map do |data| OpenStruct.new(data) end end end

projects worth noting

rails-apiMonday, February 25, 13

api_docMonday, February 25, 13

Final Thoughts

• Consume your API

Final Thoughts

• Version your API

Final Thoughts

• Document your API

Final Thoughts

• Document your API

• Did I mention consume your own API?

http://www.metacasts.tv

CONFOO2013

Thank You

@markbates

building an api in rails without realizing it

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