[FC-0118] docs: ADR for normalizing nested json apis#38305
[FC-0118] docs: ADR for normalizing nested json apis#38305taimoor-ahmed-1 wants to merge 1 commit intoopenedx:docs/ADRs-axim_api_improvementsfrom
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| GET /api/courses/v1/blocks/<usage_id>/?depth=1&requested_fields=id,type,display_name | ||
| GET /api/course_structure/v1/?view=minimal | ||
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| **Response shape (minimal vs full):** | ||
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| .. code-block:: json | ||
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| // minimal (?view=minimal or ?fields=id,type,display_name,children) |
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Above you have depth and requested_fields as the params, but here you have fields=...? Both seem fine but we should be consistent.
| **Prefer IDs + follow-up over embedding:** | ||
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| .. code-block:: text | ||
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| GET /api/courses/v1/blocks/ → returns block IDs and types | ||
| GET /api/courses/v1/blocks/<id>/ → returns full block when needed |
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This is good for programmatic used but can be really costly for MFEs for example where they want to be able to request everything they need with a minimal number of requests. Is there some nuance we can add here about when it would be okay to use the full view?
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Added an exception clause
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| * Cons / Costs | ||
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| * Must maintain multiple representations; requires careful schema/versioning discipline. |
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Can you elaborate on this? Why would we maintain multiple representations?
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There will be separate serializer code paths, separate tests, separate OpenAPI schema entries for each variant, all of which must stay in sync as the data model evolves.
| References | ||
| ========== | ||
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| * “Hard-to-Parse Deeply Nested JSON” recommendation in the Open edX REST API standardization notes. |
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Description
Adds ADR-0036 documenting the strategy for reducing deeply nested JSON payloads across Open edX APIs.
Some endpoints (course block trees, OLX structure, progress views) return large, deeply nested responses that are expensive to parse for both human clients and automated agents. This ADR establishes:
?view=minimal / ?fields=... query params as the standard convention for requesting a stripped-down representation of complex resources
Prefer IDs + follow-up endpoints over embedding entire sub-trees inline (e.g. return block IDs in a list response, fetch full block data via a detail endpoint)
Document all response variants (minimal vs. full) in OpenAPI schemas