The goal of this document is to facilitate the work and minimize the effort of all API users while protecting their investment and encouraging API adoption.

The guidelines lay down the foundation for collaboration, stability and extensibility.

Guidelines

The API Guidelines are split into several levels:

Core Principles

The Core Principle define the general rules that MUST be followed at throughout the full API lifecycle at any level.
Functionality Guidelines
- Protocol level
  
  Protocol guidelines define the protocols used within the organization.
- Message level
  
  The Message guidelines define the structure and semantics of messages used to exchange information.
- Application level
  
  The Application guidelines define the definition and use of application-specific semantics.
Quality Guidelines

Evolution and Execution guidelines define the rules for achieving the desired architectural qualities of systems.
- Evolution
  
  Evolution qualities governance, such as testability, maintainability, extensibility and scalability.
- Execution
  
  Execution qualities governance, such as security and usability.

How to read the Guidelines

These Guidelines are available for online reading at GitBook its source can be found on GitHub.

The CAPITALIZED words throughout these guidelines have a special meaning:

The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED",  "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in 
this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC2119.

Refer to RFC2119 for details.

Questions & Comments

Please contact Zdenek.Nemec@externals.adidas-group.com in the case of questions.