- Author: rapidapi.com - Full Title: What Is OpenAPI? | OpenAPI Definition | API Glossary - Tags:: [[OpenAPI]] - URL: https://rapidapi.com/blog/api-glossary/openapi/ - ### Highlights first synced by [[Readwise]] [[2020-12-21]] - (OpenAPI) helps developers to simplify application development when multiple protocols, interfaces, and environments are involved. It achieves this by offering a single interface where you can access data. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1371840162/14930636)) - Formerly known as Swagger Specification, ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1371840162/14930638)) - The main advantage of using a standard definition is that the third-party users can interact with and understand the service with minimal implementation logic, as long as they are familiar with RESTful APIs basics. API specifications are either written in YAML or JSON, formats that are readable, and easy to learn for both machines and humans. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1371840162/14930640)) - > ==Although the terms OpenAPI and Swagger are used synonymously, they are not the same thing==. As mentioned, OpenAPI is a specification that is used to describe, produce, consume, and visualize RESTful APIs and web services. It is powered by the OpenAPI Initiative; an organization comprises of renowned companies such as Microsoft, Google, Capital, Swagger, and IBM. On the other hand, Swagger is a company that is associated with some of the industry’s most robust tools that are used to implement the OpenAPI specification. It boasts a vast array of software, including open-source, free and commercial tools, all of which can be utilized in the various stages of the API lifecycle. Since Swagger was involved in the creation of the original Swagger Specification, its tools are often synonymous with the OpenAPI spec. However, you must understand that other tools can be used to implement OpenAPI specification, apart from the Swagger tools. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1371840162/14930645)) - This specification boasts top-notch tools that can be used to convert definitions into code, thereby minimizing the effort and time needed to write code. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1371840162/14930656)) - Using forks, issue trackers, and pull requests, developers can encourage the collaboration of the formalized plain-text documents that reside in repositories such as GitHub. This will ensure that implementation and documentation are linked, and everything is synchronized in all automated continuous integration processes. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1371840162/14930660)) - Most programmers love interactive documentation that permits them to test API operations immediately after they read about them. OPenAPI boasts robust tools such as Swagger UI, which offers API documentation with integrated test client. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1371840162/14930666)) - OpenAPI allows you to test every part of your system along the API design workflow. This is because OpenAPI definitions are machine-readable and can be used to asses the quality of an API. The specification allows you to conduct manual testing on your API or integrate automated functional and performance tests. ([View Highlight](https://instapaper.com/read/1371840162/14930672))