Introduction

WiRL is an attempt to write a simple ReST library in Delphi using the new features of the language (such as generics, anonymous methods, attributes, record helpers and so on). It's inspired by the JAX-RX specification, the "de facto" standard in the Java world to build a ReST API.

The main feature of WiRL is the mapping of any class in a web resource using some attributes.

pascal

[Path('customers')]
TCustomerResource = class
public
  [GET]
  [Produces('TMediaType.APPLICATION_JSON')]
  function SelectCustomers: TCustomerList;

  [POST]
  [Consumes('TMediaType.APPLICATION_JSON')]
  [Produces('TMediaType.APPLICATION_JSON')]
  function InsertCustomer(ACustomer: TCustomer): TCustomer;
end;

Every class decorated with the [Path] attribute and registered in the TWiRLResourceRegistry is a web resource associated with a specific path. The input parameters of the methods are read from the HTTP request, WiRL try to find the right parameter value using some built-in attributes: [PathParam], [QueryParam], [BodyParam] and many others. Then inject the correct value into the parameters. If the parameter type is an object WiRL try to build the object using a Message Body Reader a special customizable class factory. The result type is handled in the same way but with a Message Body Writer.

Introduction ​

Introduction