OCCInterface and ExploREST

During my intership at Smile-OpenWide this summer, one of my main projects was an application made for OCCI servers exploration, documentation and vulgarization.

What is an OCCI server ?

OCCI is a set of specifications. Its aim is to normalize and unify the Cloud. Indeed, If you are using the Cloud today and want to change your Cloud provider, it is really painful because the way of managing is different depending on the provider you are using. OCCI is trying to solve this issue.

In this standard, everything inherits from Resource or Link. For instance, an PostgreSQL database is a Resource, a Compute is a resource, and you can link them through an StorageLink.

The workflow is as following: you deploy an OCCI server, which expose a REST API, onto your Cloud, then you use this API to create delete, modify resources and links easily.

The OCCInterface

What is it ?

The aim of OCCInterface is to provide a simple interface with your OCCI server. You can use it as a tool to manage resources, explore them, documentate and reproduce bugs to communicate with your team.

Here is a list of features: - Use the OCCI server by making GET,POST,PUT and DELETE request. - Pretty formatted and highlighted JSON - Travel through resources referencing each other by symply clicking the link - Select the server you are targeting (in non-integrated version) - Write documentation with markdown - Write playground links into the markdown, wich make a GET request when clicking on it - Write sample links into the markdown, which make a POST and/or DELETE request when clicking on it. It is particulary useful to communicate with your team, instead of making a curl, just write the request in the markdown. - user friendly and quite sexy.

You can try it here : http://occinterface.herokuapp.com (may take a little time if the app is asleep)

Technical stack

I developped this app with ReactJS (with Redux, react-router), webpack to compile/minify/dev, NodeJS and express for the server. I also used travis CI on heroku, and some bash to make it properly works.

Going further : ExploREST

In fact, 90% of the developement is generic, and can be used to make this application works with every REST API you want!

It is a really cool tool to documentate you api, by puting sample/playground links to show simply how you API works to your user. Swagger is a reference in this domain, but here we have some interesting functionalities swagger does not have : playground links, sample links, markdown redaction, simplicity of use, cross resources browsing, a beautiful look.

This project is open-sourced, so do not hesitate to contribute (give advices, report bug or make pull requests)! https://github.com/Romathonat/ExploREST