April 2018 Summaries

RAML (RESTful API Modeling Language) is a popular API description format used by developers to design their APIs from scratch. It offers features like reusable libraries, traits, and more. However, RAML files can be prone to mistakes, especially for developers who are new to the format. Common mistakes include referencing components that don't exist, incorrect paths or invalid file names, not defining types or traits in referenced files, trying to reference a RAML type in a JSON schema, using invalid YAML formatting, and failing to follow the RAML specification. These errors can cause conversion failures when using tools like Transformer. To avoid these mistakes, it's essential to follow the RAML specifications carefully and use tools that validate RAML files for free.

The text discusses the evolution of API Transformer, a tool that converts between different API description formats, such as OpenAPI, RAML, and Postman. The tool has seen significant improvements in 2017, including support for OpenAPI 3 and WSDL. An analysis of user data reveals that OpenAPI 2.0 is the most commonly imported format (24%), followed by Postman 1.0 (50%). The majority of users are based in the US and India, with a significant number performing thousands of conversions every month. API Transformer's web UI and simple API have been widely used for conversions, with 76% of total conversions made using the API. Additionally, the tool has helped identify common mistakes and invalid/unsupported files that prevented proper identification. The analysis also highlights trends in format conversions, geographical usage, and API size.