Anypoint DataGraph Terminology
The following terms, some of which come from the GraphQL lexicon, are useful for understanding how Anypoint DataGraph works.
| Term | Usage |
|---|---|
API schema |
Generated by Anypoint DataGraph from your API specification in RAML or OAS, an API schema contains a collection of the GET resources and entities that you’ve defined in your API specification, and the relationships between them. |
Unified schema |
The unified schema is a single, always-current collection of types from different API schemas that you’ve added to Anypoint DataGraph and made available for consumers to query. |
Object types |
The most common type in a schema, object types represent entities in your API specification that are returned as part of a GET response. |
Enum types |
An enum type returns only a specific set of values that you’ve defined in your API specification. |
Union types |
Union types describe instances of data using other object types. A union type consists of one or more specific object types. |
Query types |
A query type is the entrypoint to an API schema when you make a request. This type contains the query methods you’ve defined in your API specification. |
Query methods |
Each unique GET endpoint defined in your API specification is represented by a query method, which you use to start a query. |
Fields |
Fields are properties you define for an object type in your API specification. |
Level-1 types |
In an API schema, Level-1 types are object types that can be directly returned by a query method. |
Nested types |
In an API schema, you can access nested types only through the query methods of Level-1 types. Nested types are not directly returned by a query method. |
Collaboration |
By enabling collaboration on Level-1 object types, you allow other types to link and merge with such types. Collaboration enables you to create a more connected unified schema so that your consumers can have a more efficient query experience. Collaboration is possible only on Level-1 object types. |
Linking |
Linking enables you to join fields from two related types that describe different objects to create a connection between them. |
Merging |
Merging types enables you to combine similar types into a single type and extend their fields and datasets for an enriched query result. |