JSON Messages - From a Philly.rb lightning talk I gave on August 13, 2013.

JsonMessages.js

var talk = {

  title: "JSON Messaging: From REST and Beyond",

  by:    { name:         "Allen Fair",
           twitter:      "@allenfair" },

  event: { organization: "Philly.rb",
           when:         "August 12, 2013 23:00 UDT",
           style:        "☇ Lightning" },

  href:  "https://gist.github.com/afair/6225435"
};



//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
// Do we need a standard method of JSON Request/Response passing?
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


var requestMediums = [
  "HTTP+REST+Hypermedia",
  "AJAX",
  "JS Frontend (Backbone/Ember/etc.)",
  "Mobile Apps",
  "Message Queueing",
  "node.js",
  "SOA - Service Oriented Architecture",
  "IPC & RPC - Interprocess Communication, Remote Procedure Calls",
];

var standardRequest  = {};  // ?????
var standardResponse = {};  // ?????


//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
// REST - Resource (Record) CRUD over HTTP
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

var rest_call = {                            // HTTP as envisioned at JSON
  method:        "GET",                      // GET POST PUT/PATCH DELETE
  uri:           "http://example.com/post/1",// Resource identifier
  uriParams:     {search:"terms", page:1},   // For GET, Optional
  headers:       {Accept: "application/json" }, // + cookies
  postParams:    {fieldName:"Value"}         // For POST, PUT, PATCH
  postFiles:     {fileName:"Data"}           // For POST, PUT, PATCH -> Multipart
}
// NOTE: Request embedded in HTTP Protocol, Data in POST Body

var http_response = {
  httpStatus:     200,                       // Look here for success
  httpMessage:    "200 Ok"
  headers:        { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  body:           "{post:{id:1, title=\"First Post\"}}" // Just the requested data?
};

var result = JSON.parse(http_response.body);



//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
// Recommended Rails JSON Response -- circa 2009
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

var rails = {
  uri:       "http://paydrotalks.com/posts/45-standard-json-response-for-rails-and-jquery/",
  author:    "Peter Bui"

  response: {
    status:  "ok|redirect|error",
    to:      "http://www.redirect-url.com",
    html:    "<b>Insert html</b>",
    message: "Insert some message here"
  }
};


//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
// JSEND - "How JSON responses from web servers should be formatted"
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

var jsend = {
  uri:        "http://labs.omniti.com/labs/jsend",

  jsendResponse: {
    status:   "success",              // success, fail, error (exception)
    data:     {post: { id:1, title: "First Post" } }
  },

  jsendFailResponse: {                // Request Error
    status:   "fail",
    data:     { title: "Post not found" } // user-defined failure object
  }

  jsendErrorResponse: {               // Exception
    status:   "error",
    message:  "Could not connect to the database"
  }
};

//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
// ODATA -- the product of a deranged Java Architect
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

var odata = {
  uri: "http://www.odata.org/documentation/json-format",

  serviceDocument: {
    d : { EntitySets: ["Products", "Categories", "Suppliers"] } },

    collectionResult: {
      d : {
        results: [ {
          __metadata: {
            uri: "http://services.odata.org/OData/OData.svc/Categories(0)",
            type: "DataServiceProviderDemo.Category" },

            ID: 0, Name: "Food",  // <=== REQUESTED RECORD

            Products: {           // Included Association
              collectionResult: {
                d : {
                  results: [ {
                    __metadata: {
                      uri: "http://services.odata.org/OData/OData.svc/Categories(0)",
                      type: "DataServiceProviderDemo.Category" },

                      ID: 0, Name: "Food",  // <=== REQUESTED RECORD

                      Products: {
                        __deferred: {
                          uri: "http://services.odata.org/OData/OData.svc/Categories(0)/Products"
                        } ,
                      },
                  } ],
                  __count: 2,
                  __next: "http://services.odata.org/OData/OData.svc$skiptoken=12"
                }
              },

              entryResult: {
                d : {
                  results: {
                    __metadata: {
                      uri: "http://services.odata.org/OData/OData.svc/Categories(0)",
                      type: "DataServiceProviderDemo.Category"
                    },

                    ID: 0, Name: "Food",  // <=== REQUESTED RECORD

                    Products: {           // Association data not included
                      __deferred: {
                        uri: "http://services.odata.org/OData/OData.svc/Categories(0)/Products"
                      }
                    }
                  }
                }
              }
            }
        } ]
      }
    }
};


//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// HAL/HATEOAS: A uniform interface for REST
//   "REST APIs must be hypertext-driven" -- Roy Fielding
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------

var hal = {
  name:     "Hypertext Application Language",
  alsoSee:  "HATEOAS: Hypermedia as the Engine of Application State",
  uri:      "http://stateless.co/hal_specification.html",
  mediaType:"application/hal+json",

  collectionResult: {
    _links: {
      self: { href: "/orders" },            // self is current URI
      next: { href: "/orders?page=2" },     // pagination
      find: {
        href: "/orders{?id}",
        templated: true
      },
      admin: [
        { href: "/admins/2", title: "Fred" }, 
        { href: "/admins/5", title: "Kate" }
      ]
    },

    currentlyProcessing: 14,               // Data?
    shippedToday: 20,

    _embedded: {
      order: [                             // Associations?
        {
          _links: {
            self:     { href: "/orders/123" },
            basket:   { href: "/baskets/98712" },
            customer: { href: "/customers/7809" }
          },
          total:      30.00,
          currency:   "USD",
          status:     "shipped"
        },
        {
          _links: {
            self:     { href: "/orders/124" },
            basket:   { href: "/baskets/97213" },
            customer: { href: "/customers/12369" }
          },
          total:      20.00,
          currency:   "USD",
          status:     "processing"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
};

//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Hypermedia API / Collection+JSON / Roar
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------


var roar = {
  about:      "Roar gem for Hypermedia API's",
  uri:        "https://github.com/apotonick/roar",
  basedOn:    "http://amundsen.com/media-types/collection/format/"

  singletonResponse: {

    article: {
      title:  "Lonestar Beer",
      id:     4711,
      links: [
        { rel: "self", href: "http://articles/lonestarbeer" }
      ]
    } 
  }

  collectionResponse: {

    collection: {
      version : "1.0",
      href : "http://songs/",
      items : [
        { href : "http://songs/scarifice",
          data : [
            {name: "title", value: "Scarifice"},
            {name: "band",  value: "Racer X"}
          ],
          links : [
            {rel: "band", href: "http://bands/racer-x"}
          ]
        } // , ...
      ]
    }
  }
};


//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Siren: a hypermedia specification for representing entities
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------

var siren = {
  uri:               "https://github.com/kevinswiber/siren",
  contentType:       "application/vnd.siren+json",
  response: {

    class:           [ "order" ],
    properties: { 
      orderNumber:   42, 
      itemCount:     3,
      status:        "pending"
    },
    entities: [
      { class:       [ "items", "collection" ], 
        rel:         [ "http://x.io/rels/order-items" ], 
        href:        "http://api.x.io/orders/42/items"
      },
      {
        class:       [ "info", "customer" ],           // Class
        rel:         [ "http://x.io/rels/customer" ],  // Location
        properties: {                                  // Attributes
          customerId:"pj123",
          name:      "Peter Joseph"
        },
        links: [                                       // Links
          { rel: [ "self" ], href: "http://api.x.io/customers/pj123" }
        ]
      }
    ],
    actions: [       // Set of HTML-form-like actions to send
      {
        name:        "add-item",
        title:       "Add Item",
        method:      "POST",
        href:        "http://api.x.io/orders/42/items",
        type:        "application/x-www-form-urlencoded",
        fields: [
          { name: "orderNumber", type: "hidden", value: "42" },
          { name: "productCode", type: "text" },
          { name: "quantity",    type: "number" }
        ]
      }
    ],
    links: [
      { rel: [ "self" ],     href: "http://api.x.io/orders/42" },
      { rel: [ "previous" ], href: "http://api.x.io/orders/41" },
      { rel: [ "next" ],     href: "http://api.x.io/orders/43" }
    ]
  }
};


//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
// JSONAPI.org -- From Steve "Hypermedia" Klabnik and Yehuda "Ember" Katz
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

var jsonapi = {
  uri:    "http://jsonapi.org/",

  idDocument: {     // ID-Based Document
    meta: {         // Optional, not defined
      pagination: {}   // Mentioned
    },

    posts: [
      { id:1,
        title: "First Post",
        links:  {
          author: "9",
          comments: [ "5", "12", "17", "20" ]
        }
      }
    ],
  },

  urlDocument: {    // URL-Based Document
    meta: {         // Optional
      "client-ids": true,  // See Client-Side ID's
    },

    posts: [
      { id:1,
        title: "First Post",
        links:  {
          author: "http://example.com/people/1",
          comments: "http://example.com/comments/5,12,17,20"
        }
      }
    ],
  },

  urlTemplate: {
    links: {
      "posts.comments": "http://example.com/posts/{posts.id}/comments"
    },
    posts: [
      { id: "1", title: "Rails is Omakase" },
      { id: 2,   title: "The Parley Letter" }
    ]
  }
};

//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
// JSON-RPC - Stateless light-weight remote procedure call protocol
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

var jsonRpc = {
  url:             "http://www.jsonrpc.org/specification"

  request: {
    jsonrpc:       "2.0",        // Version number
    method:        "methodName", // Method name to be invoked
    params:        ['parameter'],// Options Parameter Structure, [] or {}
    id:            "identifier"  // Client Identifier (string, integer, NULL)
  },                             //   NULL is notification, no response requested

  response: {
    jsonrpc:       "2.0",        // Version number
    result:        "value",      // Only for success, can be [] or {}
    error:  {                    // Only for error
      code:        123,          // Integer code for error
      message:     "error message",
      data:        "stuff"       // Primitive or Structure ([] {}) from server
    },
    id:            "indentifier" // Same as request id
  }

  batchRequest:    [ request1,  request2 ],
  batchResponse:   [ response1, response2 ]  // Unless notification request batch
};

//
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
// SOAPjr - a hybrid of SOAP and JSON-RPC  (SOAP, not WSDL)
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

var soapJr = {
  uri:              "https://github.com/gitpan/SOAPjr",

  request: {        //  basic request to view the jCard details for a single user
    HEAD: {
      service_type: "contacts",
      action_type:  "view",
      sid :         "80e5b8a8b9cbf3a79fe8d624628a0fe5"
    },
    BODY: {
      username:     "jbloggs"
    }
  },

  response: {
    HEAD: {
      result:       "1"
    },
    BODY: {
      email: [
        { type:     ["internet","pref"], value: "spam@SOAPjr.org" }
      ],
      fn:           "Joe Bloggs",
      kind:         "individual",
      n: {
        "family-name":["Bloggs"],
        "given-name": ["Joe"],
        value:      "Bloggs;Joe"
      },
      org: [
        { "organization-name": "SOAPjr.org" }
      ]
    }
  },

  soapJsonRequest: {                 // Example SOAP Request translated to JSON
    HTTP: {                          // HTTP, SMTP, TCP, or JMS/Message Queue
      url:          "POST /InStock HTTP/1.1",
      Host:         "www.example.org",
      ContentType:  "application/soap+xml; charset=utf-8",
      SOAPAction:   "http://www.w3.org/2003/05/soap-envelope"
    }
    Envelope: {                      // Like SMTP Delivery
      Header: {}
      Body: {
        GetStockPrice: {             // Method
          StockName:"IBM"            // Parameter
        }
      }
  },
  soapJsonResponse: {
    Envelope: {
      Body: {
        GetStockPriceResponse: {
          GetStockPriceResult: "....." // Requested Data
          OutputParam:         ["value"] //if any returned
        }
      }
    }
  }
};

//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
// JSON Patch (JSON & HTTP Patch) & Rocket
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

var jsonPatch = {
  url:           "http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6902",
  url2:          "http://rocket.github.io"

  httpRequest: {
    method:      "PATCH",         // or SUBSCRIBE for Rocket
    url:         "/my/data",
    contentType: "application/json-patch+json"
    body:
      [
        { op: "add",     path: "/a/b/c", value: [ "foo", "bar" ] },
        { op: "remove",  path: "/a/b/c" },
        { op: "replace", path: "/a/b/c", value: 42 },
        { op: "move",    from: "/a/b/c", path: "/a/b/d" },
        { op: "copy",    from: "/a/b/d", path: "/a/b/e" },
        { op: "test",    path: "/a/b/c", value: "foo" }
      ]
}

//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
// Google JSON Style Guide for Requests and Responses
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

var googleJsonGuide = {
  url:           "http://google-styleguide.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/jsoncstyleguide.xml"

  request:       "GET http://google.com?q=json+request+standard",

  response: {
    apiVersion:         "2.1",
    id:                 1,
    data: {
      query:            "json request standard",
      time:             "0.1",
      currentItemCount:  10,
      itemsPerPage:      10,
      StartIndex:        11,
      totalItems:        2700000,
      nextLink:          "http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=json+request+stardard&start=20&sa=N",
      previousLink:      "http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=json+request+stardard&start=0&sa=N",
      pagingLinkTemplate:"http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=json+request+stardard&start={index}&sa=N",
    },
    items: [
      { title:           "Jsend",
        // ...
      } // , ...
    ]
  }
};

//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
// Composite JSON Request/Response Documents
// - Use only what you need and what makes sense in the transport protocol
// - Map request to protocol (HTTP, RPC, Queue, etc.)
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

var jsonRequestResponse = {

  request: {                            // ClassName.find(id).method_name(*arguments)
    meta: {                             // Maps to HTTP Headers & URL Params
      apiVersion:     "1.0",
      clientName:     "MyClient v1.3",
      clientId:       "sessionId|Address|UUID",
      requestId:      "UUID|etc.",
      requestType:    "synchronous|asynchronous|notification", // Respond, queue, or no response required
      execution:      {at:"timestamp", by:"timestamp", retries:10, priority:1, attempts:0, timeout:10},

      authentication: {method:"loging|digest|oauth", key:"x", user:"x", password:"x"},
      notification:   [{service:"name", uri:"...", message:"..."}],
      pagination:     {page:1, size:10}, // For Collections
    },

    // JSON-RPC like request, mappable to REST
    // POST http://example.com/post/123/approve

    uri:              "path|class|name", // What
    id:               "identifier",      // Which
    method:           "methodName",      // HTTP Methods, Soap-Style OO Methods
    arguments:        [],                // Arguments to method
    data:             {}                 // For a data push, not process request
  },

  response: {
    meta: {
      apiVersion:     "1.0"
      status:         "success|error|exception",
      httpStatus:     200,
      httpMessage:    "200 Ok",
      redirectTo:     "http://redirected.com",
      execution:      {at:"timestamp", duration:1.2, cost:1.23},

      message:        "Okay",
      errors:         {fieldId:"Missing"},
      pagination:     {page:1, size:10, pages:10, records:100},
      eTag:           "686897696a7c876b7e"    // Or any addition HTTP-Like header
    },

    post: { id:1, title:"First Post" },      // Entity
    comments: [ { postId:1, text:"LOL" } ],  // Collection, has-many association, etc.

    links: {
      self:           "http://example.com/posts/1",
      all:            "http://example.com/posts/",
      page:           "http://example.com/posts/?page={page}",

      first:          "http://example.com/posts/1",
      previous:       null,
      next:           "http://example.com/posts/2",
      last:           "http://example.com/posts/100",
                                                // Associations
      author:         "http://example.com/author/1",
      comments:       "http://example.com/posts/1/comments"
    }
  }
};


//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
// CREDITS
//~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

var references = [
  "http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12806386/standard-json-api-response-format"
];