The API Release Process describes the creation of (pre-)releases of API versions throughout the API lifecycle, and for a given meta-release.
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Term | Definition |
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pre-release | A pre-release is a GitHub release of an alpha or release-candidate API version. Note: the term release is also often used here but it should be clear from the context. NOTE: pre-releases are not meant to be included in a meta-release. All pre-releases are publicly available in the CAMARA GitHub and can be used AT THE USER'S OWN RISK, as changes may happen to such API versions without notice. |
release | A release is a GitHub release of a public API version. Releases may be proposed as part of a meta-release. |
release of initial |
public API | Initial public API versions only exists for new APIs. It concerns public APIs versions with x = 0 (0.y.z without version extension). A public API version is called "initial" to indicate that the API version has not yet reached full maturity, but is considered stable enough to be proposed for use in applications. However, the user shall be aware that subsequent versions of this API may require code changes to their applications. Initial public API versions can be
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release of stablepublic API | Stable public API versions are recommended for use in commercial applications. The user can expect that subsequent public API versions will be backward-compatible with the one they are using, unless explicitly announced otherwise. |
meta-release | A meta-release is a set of public API versions published together at a given point in time (Spring and Fall). All API versions of a given meta-release shall be aligned to the releases of the Commonalities and Identity and Consent Management (ICM) documentation included in that same meta-release. |
maintenance release | A maintenance release is the release of a patch update of a public API version. |
release tag | A release tag is a GitHub tag placed on the main or a maintenance branch that identifies a release in the API's repository. |
release package | A release package is a zip file of the GitHub repository created using the GitHub release mechanism. It contains a snapshot of the full API repository marked with the release tag. |
GitHub release | A GitHub release is the combination of a release tag and, optionally, a release package of the GitHub repository (zip file) created using the GitHub release feature. A GitHub release applies to the full API repository. A GitHub release may containing any alpha, release-candidate or public API version(s). A GitHub release shall not include any wip API versions. |
release PR | A release PR is created for an API version to prepare its GitHub release. A release PR shall minimally set the version fields in the API yaml file to the exact API version and establish the availability of the API release assets as per the API readiness checklist. |
API release tracker | An API release tracker is a LF Confluence wiki page that provides the visibility on the progress of the (pre-)releases of a given API version. Each public API version planned for release by an API Sub Project shall have its release tracker under their API Sub Project's API Release Tracking page. |
API releases - overview
To prepare the release of a public API version, API versions shall be (pre-)released as follows:
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copy the API-Readiness-Checklist.md file(s) to the API Sub Project repository in the <home>/documentation/API_documentation folder.
rename the file to include <API name> as prefix plus a dash ("-") e.g. quality-on-demand-API-Readiness-Checklist.md
provide each release asset as indicated in the column corresponding to the release type
for an available asset
update the Status column with "Y" (yes) if the release asset is available or fulfilled in the current release, or "N" (no) otherwise. Example: an intermediate pre-release may not yet provide all mandatory release assets for the release type.
update the Comments column with the link to the asset (if applicable), and any other additional comments as needed
NOTE: the checklists of a release-candidate and the checklist of a subsequent public API version may be the same.
Checklist explanation
The following table explains each of the release assets expected to be delivered in the API release.
Nr | API release assets | Explanation |
1 | API definition | This is the OAS API definition file (following the https://spec.openapis.org/oas/v3.0.3 format). It shall be present in the home/code/API_definition folders of the API Sub Project and validated using the linting rules in point 6. |
2 | Design guidelines from Commonalities applied | This refers to the guidelines in the API-Design-Guidelines.md document. A subset of these design guidelines have been mapped to corresponding linting rules provided by Commonalities, that can be executed against the OAS API definition file if linting is enabled for the Sub Project. For the design guidelines that cannot (yet) be verified by linting rules, the API Sub Project team shall ensure coverage manually. Ideally, a checklist of such guidelines would be provided by the Commonalities team. In particular, API Sub Project shall verify data type alignment to the Commonalities/artifacts/CAMARA_common.yaml |
3 | Guidelines from ICM applied | This refers to the guidelines described in the documents available in the IdentityAndConsentManagement / documents folder corresponds to a set of linting rules provided by ICM that are successfully executed against the OAS API definition file. Other guidelines that cannot be verified by linting rules shall be covered manually by the API Sub project team. Ideally, a checklist of such guidelines would be provided by the ICM team. |
4 | API versioning convention applied | This shall be checked through a linting rule added to the Commonalities rule set on the format of the version field in the OAS API definition file. API versioning is described in the API-Design-Guidelines.md document. |
5 | API documentation | The API specification shall include all the needed documentation. It shall include the section on security as described in the API Design Guidelines API documentation beyond the one embedded in the API definition file, shall be located in the home/documentation/API_documentation folder of the API Sub Project. It shall follow the Commonalities/documentation/API-DocumentationTemplate.md |
6 | User Stories | User Stories (it is recommended to have at least 2) need to be documented by the API Sub Project team. User Stories shall follow the template: Userstory-template.md and be located in the home/documentation/API_documentation folder of the API Sub Project. Please note that User Stories shall be provided when an API is first submitted to the CAMARA API backlog. |
7 | Basic API test cases & documentation | At least one Gherkin feature file is provided for the API in the Test_definitions folder of the API Sub Project covering sunny day scenarios and main error cases (of course you may provide more if available). Details can be found in the API Testing Guidelines (in Commonalities GitHub). Basic tests are sufficient for an initial public-release. |
8 | Enhanced API test cases & documentation | Gherkin feature files are provided for the API in the Test_definitions folder of the API Sub Project covering sunny and rainy day scenarios. Details can be found in the API Testing Guidelines (in Commonalities GitHub). Enhanced tests are required for a stable public-release. |
9 | Test result statement | A statement in a discussion issue of the API Sub Project by at least one of the API Sub Project members that the Gherkin feature files have been successfully executed against their (lab) API implementation. |
10 | API release numbering conventions applied | This is verified using the information on the release tracker page. The API release numbering is described here: |
11 | Change log updated | Change log need to be provided following the template and are located here: link tbd . |
12 | Previous public release was certified | The previous public API version had at least 1 certified implementation. Reference to at least 1 certification of the API is provided on the GSMA API market launch and certification page. |
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Note 2: the addition of a Security review release asset beyond the Commonalities linting rules is for further study.
Readiness checklist per API version
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Technically, an API (pre-)release is created using the GitHub release feature (see Draft/publish a new release). It involves
A GitHub issue defining the scope of the target API version.
A release PR associated to this issue.
After release PR approval:
a release tag (with the tag name following the API release numbering guidelines above) on the main or on a maintenance release branch.
a release package containing the API's repository with the corresponding API release assets for each contained API version (zip file). A release package is optional for pre-releases of alpha API versions.
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Breaking (MAJOR) or non-breaking (MINOR ) updates to a public API version , shall result in a new version of that API in the next meta-release.
For the release of a MAJOR or MINOR update of a publicly released API, the normal API release process (as described above) is applied, including the creation of a dedicate API release tracker for this new API version.
For a MAJOR or MINOR update to a public release rx.y, the next public released is rx+1.n.
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A shorter release process is applied as follows:
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A dedicated maintenance branch shall be opened to develop the PATCH of the API
the branch name shall be maintenance-rx .y where rx.y x is the release number of the public release rx.y being patched
Subsequent patches shall be done on the same maintenance branch, and will increase the y number.
The changes are proposed as usual through Issues, PRs, and commits to this maintenance branch (using wip version)
It is assumed that no intermediate pre-releases are created, however, if needed for the development of the patch; this can be done and should be tracked on the existing API release tracker as usual.
After all changes are done, a release PR for the patched public API version shall be created. In this release PR, the API version shall be set to x.y.z+1 (per semver 2.0.0) and maintenance release number rx.y+1 shall be referenced.
After approval, the maintenance release is created for the new public API version x.y.z+1 (per semver 2.0.0) and with release number rx.y+1.
This maintenance release replaces the existing public release of the API in the meta-release.
The API release tracker of the patched API version shall be updated with the maintenance release tag link and date. Also the name of the API release tracker shall be updated to reflect the patch version.
The PATCH delivered through a maintenance release shall also be merged into a next MAJOR or MINOR API release on the main branch.
The maintenance branch shall continue to exist for further PATCH updates of the public API version x.y.z+1 (incrementing z) as long as needed, and reflecting patches releases on the API release tracker.
NOTE: a PATCH is the only case for which a separate branch is created and maintained in the API repository (as pull requests should be prepared within forks of the API repository, c.f. Governance/CONTRIBUTING.md)
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