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.

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.

Anypoint DataGraph Terminology

Additional Resources