Ruleset
A ruleset is an organized collection of rules applied together to evaluate inputs, guide decisions, or govern behavior.
Automating API Delivery
A ruleset is a collection of validation rules applied together to an API definition.
- How it is used
- Checks API definitions against executable API style-guide rules during design and automated compliance workflows.
- How deep it goes
- Shows rule fields, imports and scoped overrides with lint results; defers checks such as breaking-change comparison to other tools.
- Examples
- Uses a missing `info.description`, imported OpenAPI warnings and operation-specific `operationId` overrides.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure a Spectral ruleset to lint an API definition, reuse existing checks and phase in stricter rules for an existing API.
The Design of Web APIs, Second Edition
A ruleset file is a configuration file that defines named validation rules and their associated expressions for a linter.
- How it is used
- Automates OpenAPI design guidelines by applying named validation rules during local development and CI/CD linting.
- How deep it goes
- Defines targeting, checks, feedback, composition, and customization, while deferring detailed function implementation to related rule-development treatment.
- Examples
- Uses query-name-camel, path-level-path-parameters, semantic-version, imported error rules, and OpenAPI built-in rules.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure Spectral linting by defining, importing, customizing, testing, and selectively activating rulesets.
Read how The Design of Web APIs, Second Edition explains ruleset →
Related concepts
- linter rulehas part · A linter rule is a configurable condition applied by a linter to detect or enforce specified patterns or constraints in code or other artifacts.
- Spectralused by · Spectral is an open-source linter that applies configurable rules to JSON, YAML, and structured API description documents.
- overrideconfigured by · An override is an explicitly supplied setting or action that changes or supersedes default behavior within a defined scope.
- api lintingused by · API linting is the automated analysis of an API description or design against rules for correctness, consistency, security, and maintainability.
- OpenAPI specificationuses · The OpenAPI Specification is a standard, machine-readable format for describing HTTP APIs, including their operations, inputs, outputs, data structures, and security requirements.
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