Edition 1: OpenAPI for API Workflow? Meet Arazzo!
“From developers to testers and beyond, we’re committed to empowering you with the tools and knowledge to succeed.“
Welcome to edition #1 of the SmartBear DevRel Newsletter – No Fluff, Just Real Stuff ™.
Edition Spotlight
A few weeks back, the OpenAPI Initiative reached a major milestone by releasing a new specification called “Arazzo” (Italian for “Tapestry”) which is all about being able to describe use-case orientated workflows across one or more APIs. The spec aims to enable developers and teams focus on their jobs to be done. Frank joined Josh Twist on the Zuplo podcast to chat about all things Arazzo and what it means for the API landscape. Learn about how this new standard builds on OpenAPI and describes the next layer of how we interact with APIs beyond the raw REST specification.
Meet the Team
Community Corner
Hello, Welcome to the Community Corner!
This space is dedicated to you and your stories. Some of the features to look forward to are:
- Contributor Spotlights: interviews with some of our open source maintainers
- Fireside Chats: juicy summaries of industry leaders and experts getting together to discuss and debate current industry topics or challenges
If you think you have a story you’d like to share get in touch with us at devrel@smartbear.com
Featured Insights
For this issue our featured insights cover some exciting new developments within the API standards and specifications domain, as well as some very useful tactics to improve your API error handling strategies.
99 Problems But My API Ain’t One
API errors are often an over looked part of API design and delivery. When things move off the happy path, it can greatly impact the developer experience. In this featured insight, we cover the art of doing API errors well. Fortunately there are standards that can help and the revamped Problem Details standard (RFC9457) is a prime example. In essence, RFC 9457 aims to perfect the art of delivering bad news, ensuring API errors are not just communicated but are done so in a way that negates assumptions, aids in quick diagnostics, and facilitates smoother interactions between machines. Check out the blog below to get to grips with API error handling.
The DevRel Library
Contract Testing in Action
Good friends of Pact, Marie Drake and Lewis Prescott, are in the process of authoring a book called “Contract Testing in Action”. Chapters 1-8 are now released under the Manning early access program.
If you want to know what the book has in store, listen to Marie and Lewis talk to Joe Colantonio from the TestGuild in this YouTube video, or check it out at the Manning Bookstore.
All Things Observability
Have you considered Observability as a key part of your development methodologies? If not, let Eran Grabiner and Joe Calontonio provide you some reasons why you should.
Don’t want to watch a whole podcast? Check out our blog post by PJ Hagerty about Observability, feedback loops, and modern programming techniques.
Read the Observability Advantage blog.
DevRels on Tour
Pact in Berlin
We were thrilled to be selected as exhibitors for Pact at the Open Source Fair, part of the Merge Conference organized by GitHub in Berlin.
Engaging with Developers: A Perfect Audience
As a developer experience conference, Merge attracted exactly the right audience for us. The attendees were genuinely interested in Pact, our open source product, and our booth remained busy throughout the event.
Check out our showcase slide deck, which ran throughout the event, to learn more about Pact, here!
Overall, the Merge Conference was a resounding success for us. The venue and event coordination made it a memorable event (kudos to the amazing event team), and we look forward to participating in future conferences with similar enthusiasm and engagement.
A big thank you to GitHub for organizing such an awesome event. We were delighted to be part of it!
APIDays Helsinki & North
The conference theme was centered around Connecting Physical and Digital: Sustainable APIs for the Era of AI, Super and Quantum Computing.
In a world increasingly moving beyond “digital-only” services, the convergence of physical and digital realms is more critical than ever. Industries across the board are undergoing substantial transformations in response to changing energy dynamics, logistics paradigms, and material sourcing practices. These shifts are not isolated; they’re reshaping the fabric of business and technology.
The conference blended a mix of business orientated and technical topics related to APIs and AI. There were a number of tracks including a dedicated OpenAPI track where Frank was on hand representing both SmartBear and The OpenAPI Initiative to launch the new Arazzo Specification. You can access his slides and talks, or check out the short post launch interview below!
Open Source @ SmartBear
SmartBear has a powerful and comprehensive suite of open-source tools.
Have you used one or more of these products as part of your development toolset?
Useful links to learn more:
Check out Swagger
Check out Pact
Check out Spectral, Prism, and Elements
Check out Cucumber
Check out SOAPUI
Leaving you with…
Remember keep it real, RESTECP!
// The SmartBear DevRel Team
# GitHub: https://github.com/SmartBear-DevRel
# Email: devrel@smartbear.com