API Studio

API Studio is the designer for a Logic API. You open it on an API’s draft and use it to define modules, entities, actions, queries, option sets, roles and user properties. API Studio keeps track of anything that is incomplete or inconsistent and takes you straight to it, so you can fix it before you publish.

Before you begin

• The Logic Fabric API Builder and Logic Fabric API Builder Tools solutions are installed in the environment. See Install and host Logic API.
• The API exists and has a draft. Creating an API creates its first draft for you.

Open an API in API Studio

1. Open the Logic Fabric API Builder app and go to the API’s versions.
2. Select the version whose Version is Draft.
3. Select Flowon APIOpen in Studio, or open the draft and select API Studio on its command bar.

Published versions are read-only. To change an API, work in its draft; see Publishing and versions.

Find your way around

The left side of API Studio is a tree of everything in the API:

Area	What you manage there
Context	Roles and User properties that describe the caller. See Access control.
Option Sets	Global option sets the API exposes.
Modules	Each module, with its Summary, its Entities (and their actions) and its Queries.

Each page shows a breadcrumb above its title, so you always see where you are in the API.

The tree

• Lists of actions show a count beside them, so you can see at a glance how much each entity exposes.
• An item with a problem shows a red dot (“Something here needs attention”).
• Type in Filter the tree to show only matching items. This is the fastest way to find one entity or action in a large API.

Lists

Lists of entities, actions, queries, roles and user properties show:

• the item’s description under its name (or “No description”);
• the columns that matter for that kind of item, for example Fields, Inputs, Data fetchers, Max size, File types, Multiple files and Access;
• a Status chip: Ready, or Needs attention when the item has issues;
• edit and delete buttons when you point at a row.

The Access column summarizes who may call an action: Role, Signed-in users, Signed-out users only, Any of several, All of several, or Anyone (no policy, so the endpoint is public). See how these map to policies.

Roles and user properties show whether they are Used or Not used. An item that is used elsewhere in the API cannot be deleted.

An empty list explains what the item is for, with an example, and offers an Add button, for example “No queries yet … Queries return records across tables, with the inputs and access you set” and Add query.

Module overview

Select Summary under a module (or under its Entities) to see the module at a glance:

• totals for Entities, Entity actions, Module process actions and items that Need attention;
• a grid of every entity against each kind of action (Create, Read, Update, Delete, Process, Upload, Download), with the number of issues per entity.

You can also rename the module here; see Modules and entities.

Save your work

The header shows the draft’s version and a Save button that tells you where you stand:

State	Meaning
Unsaved changes	You changed something since the last save.
Saving …	The save is in progress.
Saved at time	Everything is saved.

Press Ctrl+S to save from anywhere in API Studio.

When a save is blocked

API Studio never saves an API that it could not open again. If the draft has issues of that kind (for example, a role without a name), the save is refused and a bar under the header says:

Not saved. This API has issues that would stop it from opening again: …

Your changes stay in API Studio, unsaved. Fix the issues listed (the bar lists them under “Fix these issues, then save again:”) and save again. Any other save failure shows “Not saved:” followed by the reason. Select Dismiss to close the bar.

Find and fix issues

When the draft has issues, the header shows an issues button such as 3 issues. Select it to see the list under “Fix these before publishing:”. Each issue shows where it is in the API.

Select an issue to go straight to it:

• Issues in an action or query open that item in its editor on the step that has the problem, for example Definition, Input, Data Fetcher, Access Control, Query, Entity or Argument.
• Issues in an option set open the option set editor.
• Issues in a role switch to Context > Roles and highlight the role.

Saving records the draft’s issues. A draft that still has issues cannot be published; see Publishing and versions.

How it behaves

• Partly unreadable APIs. If parts of a saved API can’t be read, API Studio opens it with what it could read and leaves the rest empty: “Parts of this API couldn’t be read, so they are left empty. N problems. Fill them in and save to repair the saved API.” Fill in the empty parts and save.
• APIs that can’t be opened. If nothing can be read, API Studio shows “This API can’t be opened” with a Try again button. Nothing has been changed or saved. If it keeps happening, send the technical details shown to support.
• Leaving with unsaved changes. API Studio asks before discarding pending changes.
• Language. The API Studio interface is in English. Option set labels that your API returns can still be requested in other languages; see Calling the API.
• Currency. Arguments and properties of the money type are labeled Currency.

Related

• Modules and entities
• Access control
• Publishing and versions