You're reading from RESTful API Design Patterns and Best Practices Master REST API design with real-world patterns, lifecycle management, and OpenAPI practices

Product type Paperback

Published in Oct 2025

Publisher Packt

ISBN-13 9781835885284

Length 406 pages

Edition 1st Edition

Languages

JavaScript

Tools

.NET

Concepts

REST API

Authors (2):

Andrzej Jarzyna

Samir Amzani

View More author details

Table of Contents (20) Chapters

Preface

1. The Apprentice’s Study – Preparing for the Craft

2. The “Why” of API Development FREE CHAPTER

3. API as a Product: Designing APIs with a Product Mindset

4. Understanding Application and API Lifecycles

5. Applying Domain-Driven Design to APIs

6. The Wizard’s Grimoire – Mastering the Fundamentals of REST

7. Comparing and Choosing the Right API Style

8. REST Design Constraints and Maturity Models

9. Constructing an API Design Domain Model

10. Designing and Managing Effective API Contracts

11. The Archmage’s Circle – Forging and Evolving API Contracts

12. Understanding the OpenAPI Specification

13. OpenAPI as a Contract: Best Practices and Implementation

14. Using JSON Schema to Define Your Object Models

15. Don’t Hate Your Hypermedia: Creating APIs for Humans and AIs

16. API Change Management: Strategies for Versioning and Evolution

17. Unlock Your Book’s Exclusive Benefits

How to unlock these benefits in three easy steps

18. Other Books You May Enjoy

19. Index

Summary

In this chapter, we explored how to create an API model that serves as a strong foundation for RESTful API design. We emphasized the strategic importance of API modeling in aligning APIs with business goals and providing real value to consumers. Using the MagicStore example, we demonstrated how to transform domain knowledge into a robust API structure by defining key entities, relationships, and real-world use cases.

We also introduced the minimal API surface principle as a technique to streamline design, reduce complexity, and enhance security. JSON Schema was highlighted as a powerful tool for schema-driven validation, ensuring consistency, improving documentation, and providing a reliable contract between API producers and consumers.

By following a structured approach—defining a ubiquitous language, identifying use cases, and integrating these elements into an OpenAPI specification—you can ensure that your API model remains clear, adaptable, and user...