Creating an API Proxy

With Apinizer, it is very easy to create an API Proxy using an existing API/Web Service as a Backend API, or create an API Proxy without a Backend API and publish it as an API.

In this document, creating an API Proxy using the Swagger 2.x Documentation URL of an API will be used to explain related fields.

The steps followed when creating a sample API Proxy below are the same as those described on the Quick Start page, but there are explanations for the data fields in this section.

1- Development → API Proxies is selected in main menu.

2- Click the +Create button at right top side of the interface.

3- Options to create the API Proxy will be displayed.

Type	Description
Swagger 2.x	It is the widely used API Definition File standard for the REST protocol. Click here for more information.
WSDL (SOAP)	It is the Web Service Definition File standard of the SOAP protocol. Click here for more information.
OpenAPI/Swagger 3.0.x	It is an API Definition File standard created after Swagger for the REST protocol. Click here for more information.
Reverse Proxy	It is used to send incoming requests to a Backend API regardless of whether there is such a method/endpoint, and return the responses returned from the Backend API to the client. There is no need for a definition file, and there is no need to define the methods/endpoints of the Backend API one by one. It is sufficient to give the root context of the backend API.
No-Spec API	Provides ability to manually define the methods/endpoints of and create create an API Proxy for an API which was previously developed in code-first approach and has no definition file. Apinizer automatically generates API definition files in Swagger or OpenAPI formats according to the definitions.
gRPC
WebSocket
Connector	Provides ability to create API proxy from connectors. This feature transforms HTTP to protocol of API to related connector's protocol such as Kafka, RabbitMQ, ActiveMQ, Mail...etc. To learn more about connectors please visit this page.

There are some additional options below the options.

Field

Description

Enter URL

API Proxy can be created by specifying the URL where the API Definition Document of the API for which API Proxy is to be created is accessible.

Examples:

https://petstore.swagger.io/v2/swagger.json

http://www.dneonline.com/calculator.asmx?WSDL

Upload File

API Proxy can be created by uploading the API Definition Document of the API for which API Proxy is to be created is accessible.

Select API Spec

API Proxy can be created by an API Spec that was previously created with the API Spec Creator.

Click the Enter URL link for Swagger 2.x from the options in the New API Proxy creation interface.

4- Following data fields appear on the interface.

Field	Description
Use Spec Authorization	Some definition files check that the client is authorized so that their content can be viewed. For this, authorization data must be sent within the HTTP request. If the definition file in the URL to be accessed is such a file, this box is checked and the credentials are entered.
URL	The URL of the API Definition Document.

If the Use Spec Authorization option is checked, the table below appears and the keys required for authorization are added.

The Use Spec Authorization option is not needed for this example. Type the address https://petstore.swagger.io/v2/swagger.json in the URL field and click the Parse button on the right.

5- The information of the API is displayed by parsing the Swagger file at the address given in the URL field. The fields in the incoming interface are explained in the table below.

Field	Description
Name	The name given to the API Proxy by the user. This name is displayed in interfaces.
Description	An optional brief description about the API Proxy.
Addresses	Addresses that the Backend API is accessible.
Relative Path	Relative Path is a part of the access URL of this API Proxy. The API Gateway's address is used to direct incoming requests to the appropriate API Proxy. For this, a unique address is created using the Relative Path for each deployed API Proxy, as in the example below: Let the address of the server where Apinizer is running is https://demo.apinizer.com. Let the Relative Path is /petstoreProxy. Let the address of the Environment that the API Proxy is deployed is /apigateway. Let the endpoint to be accessed is /findByStatus. Then, the URL of this endpoint on this Environment will be https://demo.apinizer.com/apigateway/petstoreProxy/findByStatus. While creating this value, some criteria should be considered; The Relative Path must be unique among the Project. Another relative path cannot start with another relative path value. If the Enable Relative Path value is enabled for the Project while making the Project settings, the Relative Path defined for the Project will be prefixed to the Relative Paths of all API Proxies created in this project.
Backend API Version	It is the Backend API version defined to API Proxy.
Category List	Categories can be created to facilitate the management of API Proxies. The category list is used to identify which categories the API Proxy belongs to.
Usage	Specifies the usage type of the Backend API. Options: Publisher: Backend API is opened by the company/institution itself. Consumer: Backend API belongs to another company/organization. API Proxy is created to access that API. Publisher & Consumer: The API Proxy created for a Backend API belonging to another company/organization is also created to be used by 3rd parties.
Sharing Type	Specifies how the Backend API will be shared. Options: External Internal External and Internal

Check https://petstore.swagger.io/v2 within the Addresses part, and enter /petstoreProxy into the Relative Path textbox. Click the Save button on the top right of the screen to complete creating the API Proxy.