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Data API Schema

Data API Schema ( aka API Schema ) is a definition file for creating each Data API endpoint. When using VulcanSQL, you not only write SQL Query files to get results from the data source, but also need to write the Data API Schema, or no API created.

API Schema Structure​

Below is a Data API schema structure example, the Data API schema uses YAML format to define it:

urlPath: /users/:id
request:
  - fieldName: id
    fieldIn: path
    description: user id
    validators:
      - uuid
      - required
profiles:
  - pg # replace this with your profile name

VulcanSQL will read the Data API Schema and know what the SQL files mapping it, then auto-generated APIs that map to the user-written SQL files.

Below is the introduction of each field in the structure.

API Schema Fields​

urlPath Field​

This is the Data API endpoint URL path. you could add the path parameter hereby :[param-name], format, but when you add the path parameter, the feildName should also have the path parameter, and fieldIn should be path, if you forgot, VulcanSQL will auto-generated it to make it work.

urlPath: /users/:id
request:
  - fieldName: id
    fieldIn: path
    ....

After API is generated, VulcanSQL will add a prefix /api to distinguish Data API endpoints and other Non-Data API endpoints. For the above sample, the request url eventually should be /api/users/:id.

If you don't set urlPath, VulcanSQL uses your API Schema filename as the url, e.g. API schema filename is user.yaml, then the urlPath will be /user.

templateSource Field​

ThetemplateSource field could let VulcanSQL know what the SQL file this API will like to map for querying it and response data. It should be SQL filename ( not need file extension ).

- sqls
  - user.yaml
  - user.sql

# user.yaml
urlPath: /users/:id
templateSource: user
...

request Fields​

The request define what the request parameters would like to send with the API request, if you would like to have parameters to send the request, you should define the parameter with at least fieldName, fieldIn two fields.

  • fieldName - The field name of the parameter of the API request, but the parameter field is optional, so you could send the request with the parameter optional. However, if your parameter is a path parameter e.g: /users/:id, then VulcanSQL will make the path parameter required.

  • fieldIn - Where the parameter field is put in with the API request. It could be path, query, and header. If the fieldIn is the path, then you should also define the path parameter in urlPath . below is the sample:

    urlPath: users
    request:
      - fieldName: gender
        fieldIn: query
        ...
      - fieldName: age
        fieldIn: query

    The request could be below 4 cases:

    /api/users
    /api/users?gender=male
    /api/users?age=18
    /api/users?gender=male&age=18

  • type - The type could let VulcanSQL know the data is what type for handing it. The type could be string, number, and boolean. If not set the field, the default is string type. But don't worry, in most time, the driver is smart enough to handle parameter types, so it might take more effect on validators.

  • description - The description field is an optional value too, but if you add the description, then it could make the API document could display the description to make the users know what the request field is.

  • validators - The validators field is an array type to make the request parameter field have some validator to check the value format. E.g If your parameter field should be required, then set the requried in validators could make VulcanSQL check the parameter must be required. VulcanSQL provides some built-in validators for you, you could see the API Validation to know the detail.

sample fields​

The sample fields are optional fields, if you don't set them, then the API document will show the response fields in the API endpoint introduction. VulcanSQL will use sample fields to send a query for sampling and get the result column with the field type for generating the information in the API documentation.

If you would like to set it, you should provide these fields:

  • parameters - The parameters could let you set the sampling data for the SQL query needed, for example, if your API needs to send the request with gender and age, then you should send the field in the sample fields:

  • profiles: The profiles indicate the data source you would like to use for querying the sample data result.

urlPath: users/:id
request:
  - fieldName: id
    fieldIn: path
    type: string
    ...
sample:
  profile: pg
  parameters:
    id: '1234'
profiles:
  - pg
info

For the more detail of using sample field, please see API Document.

profiles field / profile field​

The profiles / profile indicated which data sources the API will use to query the data result.

The profiles field take precedence over the profile field when both existed.

When you use the profile, it means the API endpoint will query the data from the data source, and each data source could set the Authorization to specify who ( users ) have permission to send the query by the Data API.

urlPath: user/:id
request: ...

# only user1, and user2 have the pg permission to send the API for querying.
profile: pg

Like the above example, if today user3 would like to query the API, it has no authorization to the get result.

When using the profiles, it could support multiple data sources like the below examples:

urlPath: user/:id
request: ...

profile:
  # only user1, and user2 have the pg permission to send the API for querying.
  - pg
  # only user1, and user3 have the duckdb permission to send the API for querying.
  - duckdb

With the above example, user3 can use only duckdb profile to send queries.

This feature could make the user could use the sample SQL query but control the permission to make different use querying the data from different data sources.

caution

You should make sure the pg and duckdb profiles have been properly configured for your project, please check Data Source Profile for further information.