| Title | A Pattern Language for RESTful Conversations |
| Publication Type | Conference Paper |
| Year of Publication | 2016 |
| Authors | Pautasso, C., A. Ivanchikj, and S. Schreier |
| Conference Name | Proceedings of the 21st European Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (EuroPLoP) |
| Pages | 4:1–4:22 |
| Month | July |
| Publisher | ACM |
| Conference Location | Kloster Irsee, Germany |
| ISBN | 978-1-4503-4074-8 |
| Keywords | conversation composition, conversation patterns, pattern language, RESTalk, RESTful conversation, RESTful web services |
| Abstract | As a good user interface design is important for the success of an app, so is a good API for the success of a Web service. Within the RESTful Web services community there is a need for a systematic approach in knowledge sharing, for which patterns are particularly suitable. Using a RESTful service to achieve a certain goal often requires multiple client-server interactions, i.e., to have a conversation. While patterns of such RESTful conversations can be uncovered from existing APIs' usage scenarios, or the service engineering literature, they have never been gathered in a pattern language, nor properly visualized with a Domain Specific Modeling Language (DSML). These patterns provide valuable input for API designers, as well as API consumers, by establishing a common vocabulary to describe recurring conversations. To do so, this paper uses RESTalk, a DSML, to model the basic RESTful conversation patterns structured around the life cycle of a resource (create, discover, read, edit, delete, protect) by showing the corresponding sequences of HTTP request-response interactions. We show how the resulting pattern language can be applied to individual resources, or also collections of resources. |
| URL | http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/3011784.3011788 |
| DOI | 10.1145/3011784.3011788 |
| Citation Key | restalk:2016:europlop |
| Refereed Designation | Refereed |
Submitted by cp on
