IDL Definition Specification for Mapping between Thrift and HTTP

date version author update content
2022-05-22 v1.0 wangjingpei first version of IDL Definition Specification for Mapping between Thrift and HTTP

This specification is the IDL definition standard for mapping between Thrift and HTTP. It contains definition standards of service, endpoint, request and response parameters. Kitex partially implements the specification, and the parts of annotation description indicate if it is supported.

Specification

(1)The standards use annotations to describe API details such as API method, path, position and name of request and response parameters and so on

(2)The annotations mentioned above are in the form of api.{key}={value}, the key is usually used to specify the position occurred of the parameter, such as headercookiequerybody and so on. The value is used to specify the actual name of fields, some functional annotations like api.none, api.js_conv, api.http_code are exceptions

(3)The annotations mentioned above must be in lower-case, uppercase or mixed case letters are not supported. for example api.get, api.header and so on.

Standards for Whole File

  • A service corresponds to only one thrift main file. The methods in the main file are for the corresponding API of the current service. The main IDL file can refer to other thrift file definitions
  • In principle, each method corresponds to one request and one response definition
  • In principle, response can be reused, while request reuse is not recommended

Standards for Request

Restrict

  1. We should specify the name and type of associated HTTP API parameters, such as header, cookie and name by annotations. If not specified, the GET method corresponds to query parameters, while the POST method corresponds to body parameters automatically. The field name is used as parameter key
  2. If the HTTP request uses GET method, api.body annotation occurred in request definitions is invalid. Only annotations such as api.query, api.path or api.cookie are supported
  3. If one HTTP request uses POST method and the serialization strategy is form, the request field type like object and map is not supported. But Kitex doesn’t support form now, only json format.

Annotation Description

annotation description field restrict is KiteX supported
api.query api.querycorresponds url query parameter for HTTP request Only basic types (except for object, map ) and list split by , are supported
api.path api.query corresponds url path parameter for HTTP request Only basic types are supported
api.header api.header corresponds header parameter for HTTP request Only basic type and list split by , are supported
api.cookie api. cookie corresponds cookie parameter for HTTP request Only basic types are supported
api.body api.body corresponds body parameter for HTTP request
Both serialization type like json and form in body are supported
Json is supported by default . The api.serializer annotation for method can sepify serialization json or form ✅, but only json format
api.raw_body api.raw_body corresponds raw body for HTTP request, we can get raw binary body
api.vd Parameter valid, we can refer HTTPs://github.com/bytedance/go-tagexpr/tree/master/validator for details
api.js_conv api.js_conv indicates the field should be string while the definition is in64, since int64 is not supported by typescript The annotation value should be true, if else will be treated as invalid
api.raw_uri api.raw_uri is used for protocol exchange from HTTP to RPC, the RPC service can get the raw uri by the field Only string type is supported

Example

struct Item{
    // For nested structures, if you want to set the serialization key, use gotag, such as `json: "Id"`
    1: optional i64 id(go.tag = 'json:"id"')
    2: optional string text
}
typedef string JsonDict
struct BizRequest {
    // Corresponding to v_int64 in HTTP query, and the value range is (0, 200)
    1: optional i64 v_int64(api.query = 'v_int64')
    2: optional string text(api.body = 'text') // Corresponding serialization key = text
    3: optional i32 token(api.header = 'token') // Corresponding token in HTTP header
    4: optional JsonDict json_header(api.header = 'json_header')
    5: optional Item some(api.body = 'some') // Corresponding first level key = some
    6: optional list<ReqItem> req_items(api.query = 'req_items')
    // api.query Only list split by are supported,Other complex types are not supported
    7: optional i32 api_version(api.path = 'action') // Corresponding path in uri
    8: optional i64 uid(api.path = 'biz') // Corresponding path in uri
    9: optional list<i64> cids(api.query = 'cids')
    // Corresponding to comma separated numbers in query, for example: cids=1,2,3,4 Only supported list<i64>、list<i32>
    10: optional list<string> vids(api.query = 'vids')
}

Standards for Response

Restrict

  • Only basic type like int64, string, bool and list split by , are supported for header value
  • Response is defined directly by the business itself. The default JSON is serialized to the body, the key is the field name, and the annotation can be empty

Annotation Description

annotation description field restrict is KiteX supported
api.header api.header corresponds header parameter for HTTP response Only basic types and list split by , are supported
api.http_code api.http_code corresponds HTTP code for HTTP response,such as 200, 500 and so on The annotation value should be true, if else will be treated as invalid
api.body api.body corresponds body parameter for HTTP response
api.none api.body indicates the field will be ignored for HTTP response The annotation value should be true, if else will be treated as invalid
api.js_conv api.js_conv indicates the field should be trans to string in response since it is int64 The annotation value should be true, if else will be treated as invalid
api.raw_body api.raw_body indicates the field will be treated as raw body for response
api.cookie api.cookie indicates the field will be treated as cookie for HTTP response

Example

// Finally, BizResponse json will be serialized as a return package to the client
struct RspItem{
    1: optional i64 item_id // By default, it is serialized with the field name as key, which is equivalent to using gotag `json:"item_id"`
    2: optional string text
}
struct BizResponse {
    // This field will be filled in the header returned to the client
    1: optional string T  (api.header= 'T')
    // first level key = 'rsp_items'
    2: optional map<i64, RspItem> rsp_items  (api.body='rsp_items')
    3: optional i32 v_enum  (api.none = 'true') // Ignore current parameter
    4: optional list<RspItem> rsp_item_list  (api.body = 'rsp_item_list')
    // The business specifies the HTTP Code itself. If not specified, baseResp.StatusCode=0 -> HTTPCode=200,  other HTTPCode=500
    5: optional i32 http_code  (api.http_code = 'true')
    6: optional list<i64> item_count (api.header = 'item_count') // Comma separated list when setting header
    7: optional string token (api.cookie = 'token') // 对应 response Cookie 字段
}

Standards for Method

Restrict

  • The serialization specified by the api.serializer is valid for GET request
  • Each URI corresponds one method in IDL by annotation, the annotation must be written

Annotation Description

annotation type description example is KiteX supported
api.get string api.get corresponds GET method, the value is the HTTP path, the uri syntex is in accord with gin( we can refer httprouter for detail) api.get = '/life/client/favorite/collect'
api.post string api.post corresponds POST method, the uri syntex is in accord with gin( we can refer httprouter for detail) api.post='/life/client/favorite/collect'
api.put string api.put corresponds PUT method, the uri syntex is in accord with gin( we can refer httprouter for detail) api.put='/life/client/favorite/collect'
api.delete string api.delete corresponds DELETE method, the uri syntex is in accord with gin( we can refer httprouter for detail) api.delete='/life/client/favorite/collect'
api.patch string api.delete corresponds DELETE method, the uri syntex is in accord with gin( we can refer httprouter for detail) api.patch='/life/client/favorite/collect'
api.serializer string Request serialization type of client request Such as form, json, thrift or pb

Example

service BizService{
    // Example 1: get request
    BizResponse BizMethod1(1: biz.BizRequest req)(
        api.get = '/life/client/:action/:biz',
        api.baseurl = 'ib.snssdk.com',
        api.param = 'true',
        api.category = 'demo'
    )

    // Example 2:   post request
    BizResponse BizMethod2(1: biz.BizRequest req)(
        api.post = '/life/client/:action/:biz',
        api.baseurl = 'ib.snssdk.com',
        api.param = 'true',
        api.serializer = 'form'
    )

    // Example 3:   delete request
    BizResponse BizMethod3(1: biz.BizRequest req)(
        api.post = '/life/client/:action/:biz',
        api.baseurl = 'ib.snssdk.com',
        api.param = 'true',
        api.serializer = 'json'
    )
}

Last modified July 3, 2023 : Update response.md (604692d)