About the APIs Working Group

INTRODUCTION
This working group is a continuation of the previous work at http://wiki.iatistandard.org/wg/api/start

At the TAG meeting in Montreal, one of the sessions discussed the overall architecture of tools that have been built on IATI data. The tools (OIPA, DevTracker, d-Portal, Sida etc) all appear to have a similar overall architecture:

• Web presentation front-end
• API layer
• Data repository (SQL or noSQL database) including import from IATI Registry.

This working group exists to further develop an IATI API Standard or Convention that can be used by implementers. Having a common API standard will properly decouple the presentation and data layers
enabling implementers to concentrate on building the best presentation or data layer they an.

OBJECTIVES
Seek agreement on whether an API Convention is a desirable thing.

A shared IATI API convention

Work on APIs including:

• IATI API Convention (current google doc)
• Customisable queries for the API
• Linked Data representation of IATI data (SPARQL)

DELIVERABLES
Updated API Convention document including:

• Activity API
• Organisation API
• Aggregate API

Schemas describing XML/JSON responses
Comparison table of current APIs to the updated convention document
Standards on how to construct APIs for different purposes.
Reference implementations for the API
Description of upgrade process/change control process for APIs

TIMESCALE
The API Working Group will operate until the members of the group decide that there is no longer a requirement for the group to exist (Maybe this could timebound to some deliverables)

MEMBERSHIP
The group should be open to anyone TAG member to participate and contribute.

MEETINGS
The primary means of communication for the working group will be a mailing list (or Discourse).Skype? Do we want to set some regular meeting dates/frequencies?

ACCOUNTABILITY
The group is accountable to the wider IATI TAG and will report back to the IATI TAG through the IATI TAG Newsletter and at the annual IATI TAG Meeting.

CO-ORDINATORS
Ben Webb (Ben Webb - IATI Secretariat ): IATI Technical Team
Steven Flower (Steven Flower ): IATI Technical Team

MEMBERS
Please indicate your interest below, by 30 June 2014

[~379] is in
Graeme Jones interested in automated private aid flow uploads from offshore “open banking” accounts to IATI metadata directory; attended TAG conference in Montreal (January 2014)