Glue API
With the rise of online experiences, customers’ expectations of what a vendor should offer have increased considerably. Vendors that develop systems that embrace an agile mindset will have a substantial advantage over their competitors. Spryker’s GLUE REST API system empowers the Spryker Commerce OS by enabling total personalization of vendors’ platforms and integrating the best-in-breed solutions for any need.
What does Spryker's GLUE REST API mean?
The ever-changing conditions in the technological landscape demand agility from vendors and their systems. Being an early supporter of a new touchpoint or opening a new selling channel can make a big difference for businesses. Spryker designed its GLUE API system to help vendors easily experiment with and integrate new capabilities into their systems.
Spryker GLUE API features are based on the cutting-edge JSON REST API paradigm. Spryker’s system is designed to connect the Spryker Commerce OS Backend and any possible integration or touchpoint with third-party systems. The GLUE system takes care of correctly reading and interpreting API resources and enabling the connection of feature modules to expand the functionalities of stores.
Spryker’s GLUE REST API architecture enables developers to quickly create unique implementations by adding their APIs.
The GLUE REST APIs ensure maximum flexibility. Their features allow our clients to connect with their customers through the most varied touchpoints and smart devices, support coherent multichannel experiences, and increase the productivity of their services with third-party Content Management systems, among many others. A broad list of predefined APIs is included in the system.
Spryker’s GLUE REST API architecture enables developers to quickly create unique implementations by adding their APIs. By sticking to the JSON REST API specifications, the system works with an efficient and precise set of rules that define how clients formulate requests to fetch and modify data and how the server responds to these requests. The system will maintain a consistent behavior across all endpoints.
What is a REST API?
An Application Programming Interface (API) is a software interface that defines protocols and rules to enable efficient communication between systems. A client (the system that makes the requests) knows how to formulate its needs for a server (the system that answers the request) to fetch the needed information and return it in a meaningful way. APIs are like contracts that stipulate how each part needs to react for a productive conversation. APIs enable easy collaboration by abstracting the functioning of the systems and by establishing gateways that ensure security for the procedures involved.
Analogous to the process of defining a set of grammar rules for a language, APIs’ protocols have been standardized. There are different protocols, each with its uses and benefits. For a long time, the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) was the standard API architecture used for web applications. However, the mobile revolution and the increase of complexity in the functionalities of websites demand more efficiency. The more flexible REST architecture is the cutting-edge response to these new needs.
The Representational State Transfer (REST API) is unique because it does not properly define a rigid protocol but consists of a more flexible set of architectural constraints. This property makes it easier for developers to use it in widespread applications. REST architecture is specifically designed to be lightweight and easily scalable.
Principles of the REST Architectural Style
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Client-Server independence
REST architecture requires that clients and servers are completely separate and don’t depend on each other for their functioning. No interaction between them happens unless the client places a call. This property is helpful to ensure that each system can evolve independently without causing problems.
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Statelessness
The server keeps no information about the clients or their requests. This means that every request is independent of the other and needs to contain all the necessary information for the server to execute it.
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Uniform interface
This principle ensures that all API requests for a particular resource have the same form. The server sends messages to the client as representations of resources. These messages must include all necessary information for the processing of the message.
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Cacheability
Developers sometimes design a system to cache information to increase efficiency. REST architecture demands that each response explicitly tells the client whether it is cacheable or non-cacheable. This demand ensures the correctness of the answers in time and the correct functioning of systems by preventing unwanted behavior.
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Layered system architecture
This principle is built on the independence of clients and servers. It allows the exchange between them to be separated into different layers. For example, a client can be connected to intermediary services that enable load balancing or ensure the system’s security.
What is Javascript Object Notation (JSON)?
The messages transmitted by the client’s request can be encoded in several formats: JSON, XLT, HTML, PHP, Python, and plain text. JSON has become the most popular and efficient of all formats because it is highly readable by humans and machines and works independently of the programming language used. Moreover, its simplicity makes it very lightweight, enhancing the efficiency of REST APIs.
A JSON object follows the structure and notation syntax of a JavaScript object (and hence its name):
- A data point is represented in key/value pairs separated by commas.
- Curly braces enclose the whole JSON object
- Square brackets enclose arrays
Business Advantages of Glue API
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Reaching a broader customer base
New devices and touchpoints are coming to market on an ongoing basis. An implementation based on APIs help vendors easily stay up-to-date and support different touchpoints and platforms to reach even more customers.
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Personalization of customer experiences
APIs enable vendors to give their customers a seamless purchasing experience through personalization and synchronization of different devices.
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Integration of the best-of-breed solutions
The GLUE API helps developers to create efficient implementations with the best technological solutions for their needs. Instead of developing everything from scratch, Spryker’s GLUE API enables collaboration that saves time and money.
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Agility and experimentation
Conditions in markets and technological development make the future uncertain. Companies that can easily adjust and are willing to experiment with new possibilities will have an absolute advantage over their competitors. The GLUE API system’s flexibility fits an agile mindset perfectly.
Technological Benefits of GLUE REST API
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Scalability and efficiency
GLUE REST API is optimized for scalability with stateless client-server interaction. This reduces server load and eliminates unnecessary interactions, ensuring efficient management of complex processes.
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Flexibility
The Glue REST API framework strictly separates the client and server. This separation ensures seamless operation and the possibility to make changes without risking affecting the functioning of the side. The ability to implement layer applications enhances flexibility and makes the system more secure.
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Independence
The GLUE REST API allows the implementation of the most varied technological applications. Thanks to the abstraction done by APIs, changes in the platforms do not affect the system. Moreover, the system remains programming language-agnostic by using JSON as the standard data format.
