Backward Compatibility

API backward compatibility means an old API client can send a request to a newer version of the Cisco Spaces Location API, and the older client can parse the server response without causing errors. However, an old client cannot access new API endpoints and new properties. If an API change breaks backward compatibility, older API clients must be updated to send requests to the newer Cisco Spaces Location API.

Cisco Spaces Location API changes are mostly backward compatible. This means that your existing integration can still consume data in the same way as the newer version of the API.

The following API changes are considered backward compatible:

• Adding a new API endpoint, schema, optional property, request parameter, security scheme, HTTP verb, content type, HTTP header, enum value, HTTP error status code, or documentation keywords.
• Adding a new link in the links section.

API clients must be prepared to receive additional properties in the request and gracefully handle these undeclared properties. For instance, an API client may receive additional properties when the API server software is updated even though the client is still using an older version of the Cisco Spaces Location API.

Changes that break backward compatibility include the following:

• Removing an API endpoint
• Adding a new required request parameter or property to an existing schema
• Removing or changing the type of a request parameter or schema property, and
• Modifying or removing an enum value.