Practice contract-first API development vocabulary: design-first approach, mock servers, provider broke the contract, and Schemathesis.
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What does 'contract-first' or 'design-first' API development mean?
In contract-first development, teams write the API specification first and use it as the binding agreement. Both sides can develop independently — the provider implements to the spec while the consumer builds against a mock.
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A backend developer says 'we'll generate a mock server from the contract'. What does this allow?
A mock server generated from an OpenAPI contract returns example responses matching the spec, enabling frontend/consumer teams to develop and test without waiting for the provider implementation to be complete.
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What does it mean when a team says 'the provider broke the contract'?
Breaking the contract means the provider's API response no longer matches what was agreed in the spec, potentially breaking consumers who rely on that structure.
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What is Schemathesis used for?
Schemathesis is a property-based testing tool that reads your OpenAPI specification and automatically generates hundreds of test cases to probe the API for crashes, 5xx errors, and spec violations.
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In contract-first development, why do teams 'agree on the contract before implementing'?
Agreeing on the contract first decouples team dependencies: the consumer knows what to expect and can build against a mock, while the provider knows exactly what to deliver — reducing late-stage integration issues.