rest/json

RESTful JSON

Charter

Given that:

• REST is a powerful architecture for scalable web services
• JSON is a lightweight container for exchanging data
• AtomPub, while RESTful, requires XML documents with strict metadata requirements

The goal of the RESTful JSON project is to develop a series of conventions for:

• URLs
• HTTP methods
• HTTP headers
• JSON fields

that:

1. is maximally compatible with existing (RESTful, generic) clients
2. enables partial updates
3. allows paging and/or partial returns of large datasets
4. standardizes linking to related resources
5. defines a generic query syntax
6. uses hypermedia (links + context) to manage application state
7. does NOT become a full-fledged RPC solution

Resources

• Original proposal by Joe Gregorio
• Standardizing RESTful JSON by Kris Zyp
• RESTful JSON Google Group -> JSON Query group
• AtomPub (for comparison/inspiration)

Proposals

• rest/urls
• rest/json-collections
• JSON Path
• JSON Query
• JSON Referencing
• JSON Resources
• HyperJSON
• HyperJSON Path Expressions
• Generalized JSON Linking
• JSON Schema

Issues

• Is the top-level entity a simple array (Persevere, Dojo) or a full-fledged object (CouchDB, ActiveRecord?)

Implementations

• CouchDB
• Jester (same URLs as ActiveResource)
• Dojo REST store
• DOM Resource
• Persevere
• SproutCore
• Grassy Knoll (Python)
• Exhibit (example)