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REST API design and development expert specializing in endpoint design, HTTP semantics, versioning, error handling, pagination, and OpenAPI documentation. Use PROACTIVELY for API architecture decisions, endpoint design issues, HTTP status code selection, or API documentation needs.
npx skill4agent add cin12211/orca-q rest-api-expert# Check for API framework
grep -r "express\|fastify\|koa\|nestjs\|hono" package.json 2>/dev/null
# Check for OpenAPI/Swagger
ls -la swagger.* openapi.* 2>/dev/null
find . -name "*.yaml" -o -name "*.json" | xargs grep -l "openapi" 2>/dev/null | head -3
# Check existing API routes
find . -type f \( -name "*.ts" -o -name "*.js" \) -path "*/routes/*" -o -path "*/controllers/*" | head -10// ❌ BAD: Verb-based endpoints
GET /getUsers
POST /createUser
PUT /updateUser/123
DELETE /deleteUser/123
GET /getUserOrders/123
// ✅ GOOD: Resource-based endpoints
GET /users # List users
POST /users # Create user
GET /users/123 # Get user
PUT /users/123 # Update user (full)
PATCH /users/123 # Update user (partial)
DELETE /users/123 # Delete user
GET /users/123/orders # User's orders (nested resource)
// ✅ GOOD: Filtering, sorting, pagination
GET /users?status=active&sort=-createdAt&page=2&limit=20
// ✅ GOOD: Search as sub-resource
GET /users/search?q=john&fields=name,email
// ✅ GOOD: Actions as sub-resources (when needed)
POST /users/123/activate # Action on resource
POST /orders/456/cancel # State transition// Method characteristics
// GET - Safe, Idempotent, Cacheable
// POST - Not Safe, Not Idempotent
// PUT - Not Safe, Idempotent
// PATCH - Not Safe, Not Idempotent
// DELETE - Not Safe, Idempotent
// Express example with proper methods
import { Router } from 'express';
const router = Router();
// GET - Retrieve resources (safe, idempotent)
router.get('/products', listProducts);
router.get('/products/:id', getProduct);
// POST - Create resources (not idempotent)
router.post('/products', createProduct);
// PUT - Replace entire resource (idempotent)
router.put('/products/:id', replaceProduct);
// PATCH - Partial update (not idempotent typically)
router.patch('/products/:id', updateProduct);
// DELETE - Remove resource (idempotent)
router.delete('/products/:id', deleteProduct);// 2xx Success
200 OK // GET success, PUT/PATCH success with body
201 Created // POST success (include Location header)
204 No Content // DELETE success, PUT/PATCH success without body
// 3xx Redirection
301 Moved Permanently // Resource URL changed permanently
304 Not Modified // Cached response is still valid
// 4xx Client Errors
400 Bad Request // Invalid request body/params
401 Unauthorized // Missing or invalid authentication
403 Forbidden // Authenticated but not authorized
404 Not Found // Resource doesn't exist
405 Method Not Allowed // HTTP method not supported
409 Conflict // State conflict (e.g., duplicate)
422 Unprocessable Entity // Validation errors
429 Too Many Requests // Rate limit exceeded
// 5xx Server Errors
500 Internal Server Error // Unexpected server error
502 Bad Gateway // Upstream service error
503 Service Unavailable // Temporary overload/maintenance// Error response structure
interface ApiError {
status: number; // HTTP status code
code: string; // Application-specific error code
message: string; // Human-readable message
details?: ErrorDetail[]; // Field-level errors (for validation)
requestId?: string; // For debugging/support
timestamp?: string; // ISO 8601
}
interface ErrorDetail {
field: string;
message: string;
code: string;
}
// Example responses
// 400 Bad Request - Validation Error
{
"status": 400,
"code": "VALIDATION_ERROR",
"message": "Request validation failed",
"details": [
{ "field": "email", "message": "Invalid email format", "code": "INVALID_EMAIL" },
{ "field": "age", "message": "Must be at least 18", "code": "MIN_VALUE" }
],
"requestId": "req_abc123",
"timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}
// 404 Not Found
{
"status": 404,
"code": "RESOURCE_NOT_FOUND",
"message": "User with ID '123' not found",
"requestId": "req_def456",
"timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}
// 500 Internal Server Error
{
"status": 500,
"code": "INTERNAL_ERROR",
"message": "An unexpected error occurred. Please try again later.",
"requestId": "req_ghi789",
"timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}// Express error handler
import { Request, Response, NextFunction } from 'express';
class AppError extends Error {
constructor(
public status: number,
public code: string,
message: string,
public details?: ErrorDetail[]
) {
super(message);
}
}
function errorHandler(
err: Error,
req: Request,
res: Response,
next: NextFunction
) {
const requestId = req.headers['x-request-id'] || generateRequestId();
if (err instanceof AppError) {
return res.status(err.status).json({
status: err.status,
code: err.code,
message: err.message,
details: err.details,
requestId,
timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
});
}
// Log unexpected errors
console.error('Unexpected error:', err);
// Don't expose internal errors to clients
return res.status(500).json({
status: 500,
code: 'INTERNAL_ERROR',
message: 'An unexpected error occurred',
requestId,
timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
});
}// 1. Offset-based pagination (simple, but slow for large offsets)
GET /products?page=2&limit=20
{
"data": [...],
"pagination": {
"page": 2,
"limit": 20,
"total": 150,
"totalPages": 8,
"hasNext": true,
"hasPrev": true
}
}
// 2. Cursor-based pagination (efficient for large datasets)
GET /products?cursor=eyJpZCI6MTAwfQ&limit=20
{
"data": [...],
"pagination": {
"limit": 20,
"nextCursor": "eyJpZCI6MTIwfQ",
"prevCursor": "eyJpZCI6ODB9",
"hasNext": true,
"hasPrev": true
}
}
// Implementation example
async function paginateWithCursor(
cursor: string | null,
limit: number = 20
) {
const decodedCursor = cursor
? JSON.parse(Buffer.from(cursor, 'base64').toString())
: null;
const items = await prisma.product.findMany({
take: limit + 1, // Fetch one extra to check hasNext
cursor: decodedCursor ? { id: decodedCursor.id } : undefined,
skip: decodedCursor ? 1 : 0,
orderBy: { id: 'asc' },
});
const hasNext = items.length > limit;
const data = hasNext ? items.slice(0, -1) : items;
return {
data,
pagination: {
limit,
nextCursor: hasNext
? Buffer.from(JSON.stringify({ id: data[data.length - 1].id })).toString('base64')
: null,
hasNext,
},
};
}// 1. URL Path Versioning (recommended)
GET /api/v1/users
GET /api/v2/users
// Implementation
import { Router } from 'express';
const v1Router = Router();
const v2Router = Router();
// V1 routes
v1Router.get('/users', getUsersV1);
// V2 routes with breaking changes
v2Router.get('/users', getUsersV2);
app.use('/api/v1', v1Router);
app.use('/api/v2', v2Router);
// 2. Header Versioning
GET /api/users
Accept: application/vnd.myapi.v2+json
// 3. Query Parameter (not recommended for APIs)
GET /api/users?version=2// Communicate deprecation
res.setHeader('Deprecation', 'true');
res.setHeader('Sunset', 'Sat, 01 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT');
res.setHeader('Link', '</api/v2/users>; rel="successor-version"');// Consistent naming convention (pick one, stick to it)
// JavaScript/TypeScript typically uses camelCase
// Request validation with Zod
import { z } from 'zod';
const CreateUserSchema = z.object({
email: z.string().email(),
name: z.string().min(2).max(100),
age: z.number().int().min(18).optional(),
role: z.enum(['user', 'admin']).default('user'),
});
// Validate in middleware
function validate(schema: z.ZodSchema) {
return (req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction) => {
try {
req.body = schema.parse(req.body);
next();
} catch (error) {
if (error instanceof z.ZodError) {
return res.status(400).json({
status: 400,
code: 'VALIDATION_ERROR',
message: 'Request validation failed',
details: error.errors.map(e => ({
field: e.path.join('.'),
message: e.message,
code: e.code,
})),
});
}
next(error);
}
};
}
// Response envelope for consistency
interface ApiResponse<T> {
data: T;
meta?: {
pagination?: PaginationInfo;
[key: string]: any;
};
}
// Partial responses (field selection)
GET /users/123?fields=id,name,email/createUser/updateProduct