OGC API - Common
Abstract
Students that are familiar with web services and APIs, and want to have an overview of OGC API - Common draft standard
Learning Objectives
At the completion of the module students will be able to:
- Explain what the OGC API - Common standard is
- Describe what can be done with OGC API - Common as a building block
Introduction
OGC API - Common specifies building blocks that are shared by most or all OGC API Standards to ensure consistency across the family. In the course of developing Resource Oriented Architectures and Web APIs, some practices proved to be common accross all OGC API standards. The purpose of this standard is to document those practices. It also serves as a common foundation upon which all OGC APIs will be built.
Note
This tutorial module is not intended to be a replacement to the actual OGC API - Common - Part 1: Core standard or OGC API - Common - Part 2: Geospatial Data draft standard. The tutorial intentionally focuses on a subset of capabilities in order to get the student started with using the standard. Please refer to the OGC API - Common - Part 1: Core standard and OGC API - Common - Part 2: Geospatial Data draft standard for additional detail.
Background
History
OGC API Common standard serves as the "OWS Common" standard for OGC Resource Oriented APIs. The OGC API - Common SWG charter was created in 2020 OGC API - Common - Part 1: Core was approved on February 2023.
Versions
OGC API - Common - Part 1: Core version 1.0.0 is the current latest version
Usage
This specification identifies resources, captures compliance classes, and specifies requirements which are applicable to all OGC API standards. It should be included as a normative reference by all such standards.
- The OGC API - Common - Part 1: Core Standard defines the resources and operations which SHALL be common to all OGC API standards. This Standard defines the minimal requirements for an API to be discovered and used by any client.
- The Draft OGC API - Common - Part 2: Geospatial Data Standard provides a common connection between the API landing page and resource-specific details. That connection includes metadata which describes the collections of hosted resources, common parameters for selecting subsets of those collections, and URI templates for identifying the above.
In addition, OGC API - Common provides some non-normative information through the OGC API-Common Users Guide.
Relation to other standards
The image below shows the resource architecture in OGC API. OGC API - Common provides a common foundation to all OGC APIs.
Overview of Resources
OGC API - Common - Part 1: Core defines the resources listed in the following table:
| Resource | Method | Path | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page | GET | / | Retrieves the landing page. The purpose of the landing page is to provide clients with a starting point for using the API. Any resource exposed through an API can be accessed by following paths or links starting from the landing page. The landing page includes three metadata elements; title, description, and attribution. Only the title is required. These three elements describe the API as a whole. Clients can expect to encounter metadata which is more resource-specific as they follow links and paths from the landing page. |
| Conformance declaration | GET | /conformance | Provides a list declaring the modules that are implemented by the API. These modules are referred to as Conformance Classes. The list of Conformance Classes is key to understanding and using an OGC Web API. |
| API definition | GET | /api | Retrieves the API definition which describes the capabilities provided by that API. This resource can be used by developers to understand the API, by software clients to connect to the server, and by development tools to support the implementation of servers and clients. Note use of /api on the server is optional and the API definition may be hosted on completely separate server. |
The purpose of the draft OGC API - Common - Part 2: Geospatial Data Standard is to provide a common connection between the API landing page and resource-specific details. The table below defines the resources listed in this part.
| Resource | Method | Path | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collections | GET | /collections | Retrieves information which describes the set of supported Collections. |
| Collection | GET | /collections/{collectionId} | Retrieves descriptive information about a specific Collection. |
Providing a common foundation, OGC API - Common is meant to be implemented by "downstream" OGC API standards in a uniform and consistent manner. Examples of OGC API - Common resources will be shown in the context of other OGC API standards.
Summary
OGC API - Common documents the set of common practices and shared requirements that have emerged from the development of Resource Oriented Architectures and Web APIs within the OGC. The standard defines resources and access mechanisms which are useful for a client seeking to understand the offerings and capabilities of an API, as well as a connection between the API landing page and resource-specific details. In this deep dive we provided an overview of the standard and look at the resources on part 1 and part 2 (draft).