Code-Memo

API Documentation

OpenAPI / Swagger concept

1. OpenAPI (formerly Swagger) is a machine-readable spec for HTTP APIs: paths, methods, schemas, security, examples.
2. Specs can drive code generation, mock servers, contract tests, and developer portals.
3. Keep the spec close to the truth (generated from code or validated in CI) to avoid drift.

Why documentation matters

1. Reduces time-to-first-successful-call for integrators and internal teams.
2. Surfaces breaking changes during review when diffs are visible.
3. Becomes the contract for SLAs, deprecation, and support expectations.

Examples and schemas

1. Provide request/response examples for happy path and common errors.
2. Mark required fields, defaults, and nullable types explicitly.
3. Document enums, id formats, pagination, and rate limits next to operations.

Auto-generated docs

1. Generate from annotations (Springdoc, FastAPI) or from hand-maintained YAML with CI checks.
2. Host alongside changelog and migration guides for each version.
3. Add Try it consoles cautiously in prod (auth, abuse, CORS implications).