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Alternative handling of media type version information (#4)

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# Changes and Versioning
> _The fundamental principle is that you can’t break existing clients, because you don’t know what they implement, and you don’t control them. In doing so, you need to turn a backwards-incompatible change into a compatible one._
>
> _– [Mark Nottingham](https://www.mnot.net/blog/2011/10/25/web_api_versioning_smackdown)_
> _– _[_Mark Nottingham_](https://www.mnot.net/blog/2011/10/25/web_api_versioning_smackdown)
Any change to an API **MUST NOT** break existing clients.
Any change to:
1. **Resource identifier** (resource name / URI) including any **query parameters** and their semantics
1. **Resource metadata** (e.g. HTTP headers)
1. **Action** the resource affords (e.g. available HTTP Methods)
1. **Relation** with other resources (e.g Links)
1. **Representation format** (e.g. HTTP request and response bodies)
1. **Resource identifier** \(resource name / URI\) including any **query parameters** and their semantics
1. **Resource metadata** \(e.g. HTTP headers\)
1. **Action** the resource affords \(e.g. available HTTP Methods\)
1. **Relation** with other resources \(e.g Links\)
1. **Representation format** \(e.g. HTTP request and response bodies\)
**MUST** follow the [**Rules for Extending**](https://adidas-group.gitbooks.io/api-guidelines/content/core-principles/rules-for-extending.html).
## Identifier Stability (No URI Versioning)
A change **MUST NOT** affect **existing** resource identifiers (name / URI). Furthermore, a resource identifier **MUST NOT** contain a semantic version to convey a version of resource or its representation format.
## Identifier Stability \(No URI Versioning\)
> _The reason to make a real REST API is to get evolvability … a "v1" is a .... to your API customers, indicating RPC/HTTP (not REST)_
A change **MUST NOT** affect **existing** resource identifiers \(name / URI\). Furthermore, a resource identifier **MUST NOT** contain a semantic version to convey a version of resource or its representation format.
> _The reason to make a real REST API is to get evolvability … a "v1" is a .... to your API customers, indicating RPC/HTTP \(not REST\)_
>
> _– [Roy T. Fielding](https://twitter.com/fielding/status/376835835670167552)_
> _– _[_Roy T. Fielding_](https://twitter.com/fielding/status/376835835670167552)
#### Example
Adding a new action to existing resource with identifier `/greeting` doesn't change its identifier to `/v2/greeting` (or `/greeting-with-new-action` etc.).
Adding a new action to existing resource with identifier `/greeting` doesn't change its identifier to `/v2/greeting` \(or `/greeting-with-new-action` etc.\).
## Backward-incompatible Changes
A change to _resource identifier_, _resource metadata_, _resource actions_ and _resource relations_ that can't follow the [Rules for Extending](https://adidas-group.gitbooks.io/api-guidelines/content/core-principles/rules-for-extending.html) **MUST** result into a **new resource variant**. Existing resource variant **MUST** be preserved.
A change to _representation format_ **SHOULD NOT** result into a new resource variant.
#### Example
Currently, optional URI Query Parameter `first` on an existing resource `/greeting?first=John&last=Appleseed` needs to be made required. Since this change violates the 3rd rule of extending and could break existing clients a new variant of the resource is created with different URI `/named-greeting?first=John&last=Appleseed`.
### Representation Format Changes
> A representation format is the serialization format (media type) used in request and response bodies, and typically it represents a resource or its part, possibly with additional hypermedia controls.
> A representation format is the serialization format \(media type\) used in request and response bodies, and typically it represents a resource or its part, possibly with additional hypermedia controls.
If a change can't follow the Rules for Extending the representation format media type **MUST** be changed. If the media type has been changed the previous media type, **MUST** be available via [Content Negotiation](https://adidas-group.gitbooks.io/api-guidelines/content/message/content-negotiation.html).
If the media type conveys the version parameter, the version parameter **MUST** follow [Semantic versioning](http://semver.org/).
If the media type conveys the version parameter, the version parameter **SHOULD** follow [Semantic versioning](http://semver.org/).
#### Example
Media type _before_ a breaking change:
```
@@ -52,18 +59,22 @@ Media type _after_ a breaking change:
application/vnd.example.resource+json; version=3
```
> NOTE: In the case of technical limitations with semi-colon separated HTTP header values, the semantic version MAY be incorporated in the media type identifier, for example: `application/vnd.example.resource.v2+json` However, the use of semicolon-separated version information is preferred.
## API Description Versioning
API Description in the OpenAPI specification format **MUST** have the `version` field. The `version` field **MUST** follow [Semantic versioning](http://semver.org/):
> Given a version number MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH, increment the:
>
> - MAJOR version when you make **incompatible** API changes,
> - MINOR version when you add functionality in a **backwards-compatible** manner
> - PATCH version when you make **backwards-compatible bug fixes**
> * MAJOR version when you make **incompatible** API changes,
> * MINOR version when you add functionality in a **backwards-compatible** manner
> * PATCH version when you make **backwards-compatible bug fixes**
The API Description version **SHOULD** be updated accordingly to API design change.
#### Example
Following API Description
```yaml
@@ -77,5 +88,8 @@ info:
Has MAJOR version 2, MINOR version 1 and PATCH version 3.
#### Recommended Reading
- [Evolving HTTP APIs](https://www.mnot.net/blog/2012/12/04/api-evolution)
* [Evolving HTTP APIs](https://www.mnot.net/blog/2012/12/04/api-evolution)