Custom Content-type in webMethods API Gateway

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This article gives an overview on the usage of custom content-type in webMethods API Gateway. Content types are used to define the type of the content. Custom content types can be used to define rules for the payload.  

 

Use Cases:  

Below are sample use cases when custom content type is useful.  

  1. 1. Versioing of APIs – Where different versions of the APIs use different payloads. 

Example:  

Content-type = application/vnd.sample.api.v1+json 

Content-type = application/vnd.sample.api.v2+json 

  1. 2. When predefined rules exists as part of Payload 

Example: Content-Type: application/vnd.bmw.car+json 

 

{ 

"manufactured_year": 2020 

, "color": "blue" 

, "hp": 160 

, "model" "X1" 

, "type": "SUV" 

} 

 

Pre-requisites: 

  1. 1. An active webMethods API Gateway tenant. 

  1. 2. An API hostedon your webMethodsAPI Gateway tenant. 

 

Details:

 An API Provider can configure custom content-types based on how the payloads in the incoming or outgoing requests have to be processed. If the native API consumes a custom content-type, the API Provider can configure a mapping between this custom content-type and a base content-type so that the schema validation, and identification in the policies are performed based on the base type.  

Example:  

Custom content type = application/vnd.mycorp.mydatatype+json 

Base Content Type = application/json 

 

Procedure: 

  1. 1. Login to your webMethods API Gateway tenant 

 

  1. 2. Go to `Administration` . From the `General Tab` Select `Custom Content-Type`. 

  1. 3. Provide the `Content Type` and `Base Type` and `Add`. 

 

 

  1. 4. Now Navigate to API and select an API where you want to add `Custom Content Type`. 

 

  1. `5. Edit` the API and click on `Policies` tab. 

 

  1. 6. Under ` Policies` go to `Request processing` and Click `Validate API Specification`. 

 

 

 

  1. 7. Now from the right window check `Content Types`. Save the API 

 

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** For example, a native API consumes application/vnd.ford.car+json content-type. The API provider creates an API for this native API and enforces the Validate API Specification policy and the API definition has schema mapping for application/json. When the request reaches API Gateway and as there is no content-type schema mapping for application/vnd.ford.car+json, the schema validation is skipped. In such scenarios, if the API provider creates a custom content-type mapping in the API Gateway UI with the content type as application/vnd.ford.car+json and base type as JSON, then the payload in the incoming request is validated against the application/json schema.