Why use Swagger for creating and documenting APIs
Tags: swagger, api, programming, softwaredevelopment
Published: 2018-07-09 16:17:59

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layout: post
title: "Why use Swagger for creating and documenting APIs"
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tags: swagger, api, programming, software development
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API is the best way of connecting software engineers and sharing valuable data and developments. Through API, programmers access a network of shared pieces of code and useful experiences. However, to access them they need clear documentation.

Noteworthy that earlier there was not only industry standard for developing APIs, but there was no standard for documenting them. <a href="https://swagger.io/">Swagger</a> emerged as an approach to building APIs and soon became the most popular framework for this purpose.

Two years ago Swagger specification was renamed the OpenAPI Specification and moved to the Linux Foundation. 

What's important, a Swagger framework is supported by such corporations as Google, Microsoft, and Atlassian. Also, giants like Yelp and Netflix have already used it in their work.

 

<h3>What is Swagger</h3>

 
Swagger is the largest framework for designing APIs using a common language and enabling the development across the whole API lifecycle, including documentation, design, testing, and deployment.

The framework provides a set of tools that help programmers generate client or server code and install self-generated documentation for web services.

However, there are many other frameworks like RAML, APIBlueprint, Summation, etc. So, how to explain the huge popularity of Swagger? The answer is that it offers a lot of advantages and besides creating clear documentation provides other great things.

 

<h3>Swagger framework tools and benefits</h3>
 

First and foremost, as Swagger uses a common language that everyone can understand, it’s easily comprehensible for both developers and non-developers. 

Thus, software developers, product and project managers, business analysts and even potential customers can access API design.

Also, as Swagger is easily adjustable, it can be successfully used for API testing and bug fixing. Another important point is that the same documentation can be used for accelerating various API-dependent processes.

Swagger provides <b>a set of great tools</b> for designing APIs and improving the work with web services:


<li><a href="https://swagger.io/tools/swagger-editor/">Swagger Editor</a> – enables to write API documentation, design and describe new APIs, and edit the existing ones. The first open-source editor visually renders OAS/Swagger definition with error handling and real-time feedback. </li>

<li><a href="https://swagger.io/tools/swagger-codegen/">Swagger Codegen</a> – allows developers to generate client library code for different platforms. As the tool helps facilitate the dev process by generating server stubs and client SDKs, software engineers get the ability to faster build your API and better focus on its adoption.</li>

<li><a href="https://swagger.io/tools/swagger-ui/">Swagger UI</a> – allows engineers to get self-generated documentation for different platforms. Swagger UI is a fully customizable tool that can be hosted in any environment. A great plus is that it enables developers to save a lot of time for API documentation.</li>

<li><a href="https://swagger.io/tools/swagger-inspector/">Swagger Inspector</a> – a tool for testing and auto-generating OpenAPI documentation for any API. Swagger Inspector allows to easily validate and test APIs with no limits on what you test. Tests are automatically saved in the cloud with a simple access.</li>


Also, find out <b><a href="https://smartym.pro/blog/why-choose-swagger-framework-for-designing-and-documenting-apis/">how to set up Swagger and use it for designing APIs.</a></b>