Akana, a leading provider of API Management, API security and Cloud Integration Solutions, announced today that it is the first API Management platform to offer comprehensive support for the leading API description languages, including the ability to translate between them. The unique ability to translate between different API description languages makes API publication and consumption faster and easier by allowing API administrators to easily define and publish their APIs using the language of their choice. Developers are then able to choose the description language they want to work with based on their own preferences.
“Akana’s new breakthrough in API description language mediation helps our customers quickly bring together their API providers and App developers,” said Alistair Farquharson, Akana CTO. “API developers can define and document their APIs using a language like RAML, complete with interface definition, model objects and detailed instructions, and the Akana API platform generates all the other description languages with their own formats for interface, model object, and documentation, allowing App developers to choose a language like Swagger that aligns with their preferred development tools.”
There are four primary description languages today based on evolving standards for describing APIs: RESTful API Modelling Language (RAML), Swagger, Web Application Description Language (WADL) and Web Service Description Language (WSDL). Each of these languages has its strengths and is best suited for one or more specific use-cases. Some of the languages focus on providing a precise technical definition of the API interface and messages while others are designed to deliver easily consumable developer documentation. This diversity of focus often leads to different preferences for API developers (providers), and App developers (consumers).
The Akana API Management platform allows API publishers to use whichever of the four primary API description languages they choose to define, document, and publish their API – even choosing different languages for definition and documentation if they wish. It then automatically generates each of the other description language documents, allowing App developers to choose which description language they want to work with. Combining this description language translation capability with the Akana API Gateway’s ability to easily mediate between different interface types (e.g. creating RESTful interfaces for SOAP services), provides a rich and powerful environment for bringing together different parts of the internal and external developer communities.
API description language mediation is now available in the latest release of the Akana API Management platform. Customers using the Akana Cloud platform will be automatically upgraded to the new version, while others can download the latest version from Akana Support. For more information on API Description Languages please click here.
