New spec renderer - check your spec now

RapiDoc

We are delighted to have now released a new, vastly improved, feature based on your feedback - a new API specification renderer called RapiDoc, which replaces our historic custom renderer. RapiDoc will be integral to how API specs are displayed in the API Catalogue

Why?

There are a wide array of benefits to the new renderer, including but not limited to:

  • RapiDoc is compliant and inline with OASv3 standards​
  • Testing vastly improved​, with some examples moving from a 2 hour delay to seconds, due to no longer relying on pipelines and hidden logs​
  • Bigger specs will render far quicker, compared to the historic renderer inwhich some are very slow to load
  • The specs themselves generally present in a more organised way​
  • Better searching within specs​
  • ​It’s open source, so we will get constant updates from the community (and be able to give back!)

When is it being done?

April to May 2023. This is the current planned timeline:

What do API Producers have to do?

  1. From 24th April 2023, check their specs in the non-production environment of RapiDoc, to verify that they still render correctly. NB: This step is necessary as previously specs may have used non-standard components to work with the old renderer. Also check you are using a VPN to ensure you can access this and for best results please use Chrome, we are currently implementing some styling fixes for Firefox.
  2. Make any required changes to the specs so that they render correctly in non-production RapiDoc.
  3. Confirm to the API Management team via email (api.management@nhs.net) that their spec is OK in non-production RapiDoc.
  4. The API Management team will then switch over that spec to RapiDoc, away from the old renderer.

Please note: any remaining specs will be switched over to RapiDoc at the 19th May regardless, so API Producer teams have a four-week window to test and confirm their specs in non-production RapiDoc.

What’s the rollback plan?

Should a spec go live in RapiDoc and not work correctly, it can be temporarily switched back to the old renderer by the API Management team while the reason for it not rendering correctly in RapiDoc is resolved.

You can also see an up to date list of any FAQs or known issues in our Confluence page here.

Any questions?

If so, just reply to this post. We’re happy to help.

Congrats and thanks for the announcement :pray: :pray:

Why does this need a VPN ? Isn’t it public information being displayed ?