Are you ready for OpenAPI spec 4.x?
If you’re a developer, you’re probably familiar with OpenAPI. It’s currently at version 3.1.0. But did you know that version 4.0.0 is in development and is close to being released?
OpenAPI Moonwalk - 2024
OpenAPI "Moonwalk" (v4.0) is the next significant update to the OpenAPI Specification, expected to launch at the end of 2024.
Here are the main topics for OpenAPI Moonwalk (v4.0):
Support for RPC-based APIs: Expands beyond REST to include RPC-style APIs, allowing methods and commands in the request body
Flexible URL patterns: Introduces support for URI Templates (RFC 6570) to allow more dynamic and optional path parameters
Enhanced path parameters: Removes the requirement for path parameters to always be mandatory and supports multi-segment parameters
Backwards compatibility: Efforts to maintain backwards compatibility with previous OpenAPI versions for smoother transitions
Increased flexibility: Aims to offer more flexibility and precision in API documentation, suitable for a wider range of use cases
Conclusion
OpenAPI 4.0 will introduce many powerful features and capabilities to improve the way APIs are defined and documented. These updates include enhanced support for both REST and RPC-based APIs, more flexible URL patterns, and multi-segment path parameters. However, to accommodate these improvements, OpenAPI 4.0 will require breaking changes to the current 3.1 specification.
We as professionals should be aware of it, so we can take advantage of these new capabilities and be ready for this new structure.
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