From 837c8c37ce386e242c8279f2f77b1edf2732407c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: apidesigner <z@goodapi.co>
Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2017 14:04:33 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] Updates message/hal.md

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   * [Message Formats](message/message-formats.md)
   * [Error Reporting  ](message/error-reporting.md)
   * [Content Negotiation](message/content-negotiation.md)
+  * [HAL](message/hal.md)
 * [Evolution](evolution/README.md)
   * [Naming Conventions](evolution/naming-conventions.md)
   * [JSON](evolution/json.md)
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+# HAL
+> HAL is a simple format that gives a consistent and easy way to hyperlink between resources in your API.
+
+This is an informal introduction for the HAL media type. For details see [HAL - Hypertext Application Language Specification](http://stateless.co/hal_specification.html).
+
+## Simple Document Example
+The simplest Hal document looks like an empty JSON (it is an empty JSON!):
+
+```json
+{
+}
+```
+
+A document representing a "Greeting" resource might look like:
+
+```json
+{
+  "message": "Hello World!",
+  "_links": {
+    "self": {
+      "href": "/greeting"
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+The field `_links` has a special meaning in HAL. It denotes a list of link relations - a pair if a relation identifier and a link (URI). 
+
+These link relations are used to express the relation of a resource with other resources.
+
+In our case the "Greeting" resource isn't related to other resources but itself-hence the `self` relation pointing to the Greeting resource. 
+
+It is **customary** for every resource representation to include the `self` link relation. 
+
+### Relation Example
+A more complex document example could be an "Order" resource that has a related resource "Author" (a person who created the order. It might look like:
+
+```json
+{
+  "_links": {
+    "self": {
+      "href": "/orders/1234"
+    },
+    "author": {
+      "href": "/users/john"
+    }
+  },
+  "orderNumber": 1234,
+  "itemCount": 42,
+  "status": "pending"
+}
+```
+
+
+#### Real-world Examples
+
+Some APIs using HAL:
+
+- [Amazon AppStream REST API](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/appstream/latest/developerguide/appstream-api-rest.html)
+- [FoxyCart](https://wiki.foxycart.com/v/2.0/start)
+- [Clarify.io](http://docs.clarify.io/overview/)
+- [University of Oxford / Mobile Oxford](http://api.m.ox.ac.uk/browser/#/)
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