Defining parameter components

Parameter components define reusable parameters that can specify variable elements of a URL path, query parameters, headers, or a request body.

About this task

Note:

This task relates to configuring an OpenAPI 3.0 API definition. For details on how to configure an OpenAPI 2.0 API definition, see Editing an OpenAPI 2.0 API definition.
OpenAPI 3.0 APIs are supported only with the DataPower® API Gateway, not with the DataPower Gateway (v5 compatible).
For details of current OpenAPI 3.0 support limitations, see OpenAPI 3.0 support in IBM® API Connect.

You can complete this task either by using the API Designer UI application, or by using the browser-based API Manager UI.

To make use of a parameter component, you must reference it from elsewhere in your API definition.

A parameter is similar to a header, with the following differences:

Parameters carry actual data and are available to end users, headers carry meta data associated with a request or response and are hidden from end users.
A parameter can have various locations, the location of a header is always set to header.
A parameter can have various format styles, the style of a header is always simple.

For more information on headers, see Creating a header.

At any time, you can switch directly to the underlying OpenAPI YAML source by clicking the Source icon OpenAPI Source icon . To return to the design form, click the Form icon Form icon .

Procedure

Open the API for editing, as described in Editing an OpenAPI 3.0 API definition.
Expand Components then, if there are already one or more parameter components defined, expand Parameters.
You can create a new parameter component, or edit any existing parameter component.
- To create a parameter component, click the add icon alongside Parameters, then refer to Creating a parameter.
- To edit an existing parameter component, click the parameter component name in the navigation pane, then refer to Editing a parameter.