PCR API refactor spec

pcr-api-refactor-spec.md

PCR API Refactor Spec

Author: Kyle Hardgrave (kyleh@seas)

This is a spec for how I'm going to refactor the PCR API, both internally and externally.

Goals

• Make the API routing and controller code more fitting with Django standards
• Make the external API simpler, more RESTful, and more useful

Non-Goals

• Adding functionality to the API
• Changing model representation

Code reorg

• Much of views will likely be rewritten

New API Format

Endpoints

/course/:dept/:course_num

{
    latest_description: '...',
    aliases: [
        'CIS-140',
        'LING-140',
        'PSYC-140',
        'COGS-001'
    ],
    // ... other course-general info, non-semester-specific
    reviews: [
        // ... review.toJson()
    ]
}

/course/:dept

A list of the above, paginated and sorted by ascending course number

/department/:dept

{
    name: 'History',
    code: 'HIST',
    courses: [
        //... course.toShortJson()
    ]
}

/instructor/:instructor_id

{
    first_name: 'James',
    last_name: 'Bond',
    pennkey: '',
    courses: [
        //... course.toShortJson()
    ]
    reviews: [
        //...review.toJson()
    ]
}