WebApi Framework

The WebApi Framework allows you to build a REST Api in DataFlex with the help of drag and drop features within the DataFlex Studio. You can expose fields in your api similarly to how you expose data in a DataFlex application, using the entry_item command.

Swagger UI

The WebApi Framework generates documentation for your REST Api in the format of the OpenApi specification. The OpenApi specification can then be used in tools like Swagger (https://swagger.io/) and Postman (https://www.postman.com/) to easily test your api and/or share it with a consumer of your REST api.

The library comes with a web control that you can put into your web applications. This web control turns the OpenApi specification into a readable and easy to understand user interface.

Swagger UI is capable of describing the following aspects of your REST api:

• Available endpoints.
• What format data format is supported by the server (XML/JSON).
• The data the client is expected to send along with his/her request.
• The data the client can expected in response.
• Status codes.
• Available filters (query parameters).
• What security scheme is used (BasicAuth, JWT Bearer).

Overview

• The [Sample](Web API Sample) folder contains a sample workspace which contains a REST api built with the library.
• The [Library](Web API Library) folder contains the actual library that should be attached to your workspace.
• The WebApi folder contains the javascript files needed to render the Swagger UI component in the browser. This should be copied to your application's AppHtml folder.
• The Help folder contains a markdown file that serves as documentation for the WebApi framework.

Usage

To use the WebApi Framework in your workspace perform the following actions:

• Attach the library to your workspace
• If you wish to use the Swagger UI web control in your application move the [WebApi](Web API Library\AppHtml\WebApi) folder to the AppHtml folder of your application.
• Add the lines below to your index.html

<script src="WebApi/swagger-ui-bundle"></script>
<script src="WebApi/swagger-ui-standalone-preset.js"></script>
<script src="WebApi/SwaggerDocumentation.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="WebApi/swagger-ui.css">

Now the WebApi Framework can be used within your web application.