RESTful Efforts in Django

My CSC2125 team appear to have concrete direction in what we're going to build for end of term. We've been building prototype REST web services, relying on ORM data, for the last few weeks, most recently in Django. Since Django is so closely integrated into the community here, we're going to use that as our target platform.

It seems that both myself and Bill Conrad started with the Django REST Interface, a Google SoC project from 2007. This interface takes your Django Models and throws a quick and dirty xml interface ontop of them. Functional yes, but not really complete (or even good REST). However, since this interface has some problems, they're just aching for me to fix them!

First, the xml/json/yaml returned from the interface is the standard Django serialzation format, which isn't very pretty for REST purposes. It can be cleaned up.

Most importantly, I think, is that the inter-object relations are expressed as sets of primary keys, instead of URLs to related objects. This flyes in the face of REST. It will require something akin to reversing the urls.py map to get a URL from a Model and primary key. Non-trivial, interesting, and crucial to the correctness of the resluting service.

A few other nice-to-haves include implicit delayed GET, algorithmic(query) resources, and dynamic representations.

I spoke with Bill today about his work on the Basie REST API. He seemed convinced that he solved most of what I'm after already, with the notable exception of reverse URL mapping. The REST blog post on the Basie Blog mentions the following features:

Generic Models - looks like Django Models will be turned into REST resources automagically, a la the Django REST Interface. Also, the Basie team had need of a deep synchonization of objects, and so added this to their REST API. While I'm sure this fulfulls their requirements, according to Robert Brewer via Greg's Blog this is a RESTful no no.

Intuitive Data Access - discusses url structure. There's mention in this section of an algorithmic (Bill calls them filtered) resources. If this is done, then that's one item off my list!

AJAX Friendly - not really interested in this, but good on ya.

The impression I get after going through this (and I'll admit, I haven't looked at the Basie codebase yet, but its next on my list), is that there has been effort in the area I want to pursue in 2125, but not to the extent or in the specific details I intended. Yay! Project still holds validity!