API-First development approach
Description
Simpl-Open's development methodology shall adopt an API-First approach ensuring that APIs are treated as first-class products. It helps teams work together more efficiently, allows development to happen in parallel, improves consistency and makes it easier to connect with external systems over time. It also ensures the platform remains modular, easier to evolve and well-aligned with data space requirements.
- Specific: Simpl-Open's development shall follow a specific API-First approach, where APIs are considered central to the design process and are defined before the implementation of services. APIs must be designed with a consumer-first mindset, ensuring usability, clarity, and consistency for internal and external developers. This promotes better collaboration, supports interoperability, and enables efficient integration across systems.
- Measurable: The system must ensure that every API is versioned. Peer reviews shall ensure that APIs are not only exposed but also explained, by incorporating generic documentation, practical usage examples, and schema definitions. Conformance with API documentation and governance standards shall be monitored regularly.
- Achievable: The system must be designed so that APIs are exposed before the underlying services are developed. Each API must comply with established standards for documentation, governance, and lifecycle management, making the approach feasible within existing development practices.
- Realistic: An API-First approach enables better collaboration, parallel development, and modularity. It is a realistic strategy that aligns with Simpl-Open’s interoperability goals and supports long-term scalability and maintainability across distributed components.
- Timely: API design and versioning guidelines shall be established at the start of the development process. Compliance shall be reviewed at key stages of the delivery lifecycle to ensure ongoing alignment with platform standards and external integration needs.
Detailed Non-Functional Requirement | Issue ID: SIMPL-11927 | Status: Proposed |