Tutorial: What is Stoplight Studio and How to Use it (2024 Guide)

Stoplight Studio is an API tool that can be used for various API-related activities, such as API design, API documentation creation, and API publication. Some developers might regard Stoplight Studio as one of the best OpenAPI documentation tools the industry has seen.

This article will explain further about Stoplight Studio's main strengths in web development and a guide on how to use Stoplight Studio.

What is Stoplight Studio?

Stoplight Studio is a tool for API design, documentation creation, and publication.

Stoplight Studio Key Features

Stoplight Studio has a few key features that allow it to shine.

Automated Documentation: Stoplight Studio has a built-in API documentation generator, ensuring the documentation stays in sync with the actual API implementation, saving lots of time and reducing manual errors.

Team Collaboration: Stoplight Studio has collaboration features that enable multiple team members to work on the API design concurrently. More hands on deck means more work can be accomplished.

Built-in Testing Tools: Stolight Studio includes testing features that allow developers to test API endpoints directly within the editor.

Enforced Standards: Stoplight Studio has built-in support for industry standards and best practices, so you don't have to worry about the API in design to be not enough for the public.

Gentle Learning Curve: Stoplight Studio can be more accessible to new developers who may not be familiar with writing raw code but still need to contribute to the API design process.

By using Stoplight Studio, users can be confident in creating consistent API design and its documentation publication.

Stoplight Studio and OpenAPI

Stoplight has been recently acquired by SmartBear Software, the developer of Swagger, in May 2022. The reasons why such an acquisition has been made are that:

• Swagger and Stoplight have similar strengths in API lifecycle management.
• Stoplight has more advanced features to offer than Swagger, with some examples coming in as API testing and microservices support.
• Increased presence in the API tool field.

As Smartbear donated its Swagger specification to the OpenAPI Initiative in 2015, it is no surprise that Stoplight Studio also inherited many of its characteristics and standards.

Pros and Cons of Stoplight Studio

Stoplight Studio is acknowledged as one of the best API documentation tools in the web service industry. However, there are a few drawbacks that you might want to be aware of before committing to learning how to use Stoplight Studio.

Stoplight Studio Pros

Stoplight Studio provides users with an interactive visual editor to design and document APIs. Their GUI is very user-friendly and intuitive.

Once you have finished designing your APIs with Stoplight Studio, you can then easily generate the corresponding documentation and share it with whoever you wish.

Stoplight Studio Cons

With good often comes the bad. Stoplight Studio has a few setbacks, as observed by other users:

• Few code generation choices for different kinds of client languages.
• Although intuitive to use, mastering it requires more time and dedication due to its complexity.
• Lack of support for non-native English speakers.
• Stoplight Studio has a cloud connection, therefore it does not support offline working environments.
• Lack of API testing tools and functions.

Even though there are some disadvantages to Stoplight Studio, it is still an excellent API design tool overall.

Apidog - All-In-One API Documentation Tool

Aside from Stoplight Studio, another excellent API designing tool that is worth exploring is Apidog.

Apidog offers an intuitive and simplistic UI like Stoplight Studio. Using Apidog, you can create and design APIs without writing YAML or JSON code. You can also generate a URL that anyone can enter to view the automatically generated API documentation once you have finished designing your web services.

Being an all-in-one documentation tool, Apidog has what Stoplight Studio lacks. In addition to automated API documentation generation, Apidog also has advanced testing functions, such as performance and scenario testing. Furthermore, you can rely on Apidog's mock sample generation for testing, allowing you to purely focus on your web services' quality and the entire API lifecycle process as a whole.

Designing APIs with Apidog

Before every product testing stage, there is a design process. With Apidog. you can design APIs with the OpenAPI specification, and generate corresponding API documentation within just a few clicks.

Configuring API Methods and Endpoints

Arrow 1 - Clairfy the correct HTTP URL for your request. Make sure that there are no typos so that you can receive a response!

Arrow 2 - Decide what API method you would like. The most common methods are specifically GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. Nonetheless, Apidog provides the options to choose OPTIONS, HEAD, and PATCH.

Arrow 3 - Explain the API details thoroughly by including the request parameters, response parameters, and example responses below. It is strongly recommended to have everything filled as every variable will be included in the API documentation.

Designing API Request Testing with Apidog

Before distributing your API for the public to utilize, you have to ensure that the API is bug-free. It is vital for testing each request you have involved in your web services, so follow these steps to start!

Arrow 1 - Select the request you would like to test.

Arrow 2- Send the request to receive a request. Before pressing the Send button, make sure that the method type and URL are correct.

Arrow 3 - Analyze the response to see if it satisfies your requirements or expectations for the web service.

Creating Test Scenarios for APIs with Apidog

Test scenarios are a series of steps that you can design for your web service to simulate in a practical situation. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to start one.

Arrow 1 - Locate the "Testing" button.

Arrow 2 - Press the + New Test Scenario button.

You should then be prompted with this pop-up window, asking you to input a few details about your new test scenario. Once you have filled it out, you can hit the "OK" button on the bottom right corner, or just "Enter" on your keyboard.

Add a step (or many more steps) to your test scenarios by clicking on the "Add Step" section. You should be able to see the image below.

Select "Import from API" from the drop-down menu.

Select all the APIs you would like to include in your test scenario. In the example above, the API called NumberConversionSOAP has been included.

Arrow 1 - Change the test scenario to "Testing Env".

Arrow 2 - Press Run when every detail has been finalized.

Conclusion

Stoplight Studio is recognized to be one of the best API tools in the web service industry. Its strengths are known to be an excellent interactive visual editor that enables developers to design APIs and create the necessary documentation using automated generation.

Although it is intuitive in design, Stoplight Studio may lack in API testing functions and support for other client languages.

Apidog is an all-in-one API documentation tool that covers Stoplight Studio's shortcomings. Having an intuitive GUI and complete API lifecycle support which includes API testing and mock servers, Apidog can allow developers to interactively design APIs and automatically generate beautiful API documentation. Anyone who has access to the API documentation can then view the documentation at any time.

If you feel that Stoplight Studio is not your API tool, give Apidog a shot. It's worth the try.