What is RAML? A modeling language for REST APIs!

An effort to offer a modeling language for RESTful APIs, RAML, reached 1.0 on November 3rd 2015ls . It comes with an ambitious goal to become the single desribing language for all bits of the lifecycle of a RESTful API. Today, in a world full of potential public API data providers there is a need to unify and find a common language.

RAML aims to provide a single language that will allow designers, developers and consumers of RESTful APIs to share a language among the various stages of the creative process: Design, Construction, Testing, Documenting, Sharing and Support.

Many developers are used to consuming high quality APIs provided by internet giants such as Microsoft, Yahoo! and Facebook. The hidden truth behind the elegant implementations and polished documentation is money. A good API is an investment for these companies and they're willing to pay top dollar for it.

Fast forward to the life where most APIs are created: At the small offices and medium companies as well as large corporations without real focus on Public APIs. We've all been there, trying to consume an API that is cryptic and comes with zero documentation. Probably we've built these hacks ourselves.

A lot of information is lost in translation between requirements and so forth. Just like English is the the lingua franca of code, RAML should be the way we discuss our APIs. The success of the effort remains to be seen, but as the transition from XML to JSON as a universal data exchange format, change can happen.

Learn more: RAML 1.0 is here

More about the recent data, API and Front End related technologies: