heidi API

An application Programming Interface (API) for heidi is under development. This is intended to improve the system as a data delivery mechanism, to complement the growing range of data warehouses and BI systems in use within HE institutions. The heidi API has been designed to provide a method for users (or their applications and systems) to specify what data they require and to retrieve it in a format that is much easier to transform into that required for their own systems. It is a simple web API based on RESTful standards. Please note that the API is aimed at users who are familiar with writing and understanding programming code.

Initial Interest

Following a review by HEI colleagues and the Heidi User Group, a specification document was produced. HESA sought feedback from the wider user community and asked for involvement from HEIs to help partner in the development of the API. You can view the document here.

Alpha release

An Alpha release version of the heidi API was released on 11th September 2012. This was released to a limited number of users who had expressed an interest in contributing to the early development. Some excellent feedback was received during this process on the ways in which these institutions plan to utilise the API, as well as technical aspects of the deployment and functionality.

Beta release

A beta version of the heidi API was released on 25th March 2013. This current version includes a number of improvements arising from the feedback received on the Alpha release. For the latest specification on the beta version of the API, please click here.

In addition, in order to facilitate discussion on the API and to enable users to share source code, the following website has been created and includes some of the initial examples of code. http://hesaheidiapi.codeplex.com. 

We welcome feedback on this release. Please email heidi@hesa.ac.uk with any queries or comments. Alternatively please post your queries or comments to the Codeplex discussion, by opening a new thread or take part in a discussion by responding within an open thread. The intention is to use the Codeplex discussion as a primary channel of communication for technical users of the API.