This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Resources Are Not Object or Domain Models
API resources are not the same as objects in an object-oriented codebase. Objects support collaboration within a codebase. Objects are often used to map data models into code for easier manipulation. They suffer from the same issues as exposed data models: constant code changes, network chattiness, and data inconsistencies.
Likewise, domain models, typically comprised of objects, represent the specific business domain. They may be used in a variety of ways to address the needs of the system. They may even traverse different transactional contexts based on how they are applied. Web APIs, however, are most effective when they take transactional boundaries into consideration rather than directly exposing internal domain or object model behavior.
Keep in mind that API consumers don’t have the luxury of seeing the details of a data model and all the code behind an API. They didn’t sit in on the endless meetings that resulted in the multitude of decisions that drove a data model design. They don’t have the context of why data model design decisions were made. Great API designs avoid leaking internal details, including database design choices, by shifting from data design to message design.