feat: Update the LiveObjects Rest Documentation #2884

kaschula · 2025-10-14T14:34:00Z

Description

This PR does the following:

Deprecate the old Live Objects APIS
Add Open API specifications for the three new endpoints
Update the Usage documentation to reflect the new endpoints

Checklist

Commits have been rebased.
Linting has been run against the changed file(s).
The PR adheres to the writing style guide and contribution guide.

coderabbitai · 2025-10-14T14:34:23Z

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kaschula · 2025-10-14T14:39:47Z

Hi @mschristensen Do you mind having a look at OpenAPI specification for the new endpoints. One thing I wanted to get your thoughts on was the examples for /channels/{channelId}/object/{objectId} endpoint. They currently are the same as the /channels/{channelId}/object endpoint. The difference between these endpoints is a bit nuanced and hard to get across using examples as the endpoints are pretty much the same. I thought maybe I would use the usage docs to describe the difference.

I could write slightly different examples with different data just to make it more interesting to read.

Also I have used the deprecated flag provided by the OpenAPI spec which strikes out the previous endpoints in the menu.

kaschula · 2025-10-15T15:11:57Z

Hi @mschristensen, I have pushed up the usage docs changes as well

mschristensen · 2025-10-30T16:02:01Z

src/pages/docs/liveobjects/rest-api-usage.mdx

 </Code>

-This request is billed per object ID returned - each object ID counts as one billable message.
+#### Get the entire object with metatdata <a id="fetching-object"/>


Suggested change

#### Get the entire object with metatdata <a id="fetching-object"/>

#### Get the entire object with metadata <a id="fetching-object"/>

mschristensen · 2025-10-30T16:05:04Z

src/pages/docs/liveobjects/rest-api-usage.mdx

-`GET main.realtime.ably.net/channels/<channelName>/objects`
-
-Fetch a flat list of objects on the channel:
+The following request returns the entrie object tree.


Suggested change

The following request returns the entrie object tree.

The following request returns the entire channel object.

Note we should not refer to the "tree" any more, just the channel object

Thanks I have removed all instances of "object tree"

mschristensen · 2025-10-30T16:06:46Z

src/pages/docs/liveobjects/rest-api-usage.mdx

 </Code>

-The response includes the IDs of the objects on the channel:
+This endpoint by default returns the compact representation of the object tree.


Suggested change

This endpoint by default returns the compact representation of the object tree.

This endpoint returns the compact representation of the object tree by default.

mschristensen · 2025-10-30T16:08:47Z

src/pages/docs/liveobjects/rest-api-usage.mdx

-#### Including values <a id="fetching-objects-list-values"/>
-
-To include values of the objects in the response, set the `values=true` query parameter:
+By providing the `compact=false` query param the response will contain the full object representation including the


Suggested change

By providing the `compact=false` query param the response will contain the full object representation including the

You can optionally include additional object [metadata](/docs/liveobjects/concepts/objects#metadata) in the response by specifying the `compact=false` query option:

mschristensen · 2025-10-30T16:12:44Z

src/pages/docs/liveobjects/rest-api-usage.mdx

 </Code>

-#### Including metadata <a id="fetching-objects-list-metadata"/>
+Both these requests are billed per object returned.


Suggested change

Both these requests are billed per object returned.

Each instance of an [object type](/docs/liveobjects/concepts/objects#object-types) included is the response is counted as one billable message.

I think this statement should also appear at the end of the "Get the entire object" section (so that a reader of that specific section has all the information they need, i.e. we do not hide information relating to one section in the content for other sections)

mschristensen · 2025-10-30T17:06:07Z

src/pages/docs/liveobjects/rest-api-usage.mdx

    -d '{
      "operation": "COUNTER_INC",
-      "path": "votes.up",
+      "path": "poll.votes.up",


Why have we added poll here? Do we need to update the text above?

I had changed the structure of the example app from

{ "votes": { "up": 5, "down": 10 } }

to

{ "poll": { "name": "First Poll" "votes": { "down": 10, "up": 5, } } }

I can't remember why I did this. I think I will revert the docs to reference the original structure.

mschristensen · 2025-10-30T17:06:40Z

src/pages/docs/liveobjects/rest-api-usage.mdx

 </Code>

-When you create a new object it is important that the new object is assigned to the object tree so that it is [reachable](/docs/liveobjects/concepts/objects#reachability) from the root object.
+When you create a new object it is important that the new object is assigned to the object tree so that it is [reachable](/docs/liveobjects/concepts/object#reachability) from the root object.


When you create a new object it is important that the new object instance is assigned to the channel object so that it is reachable.

mschristensen · 2025-10-30T17:08:51Z

src/pages/docs/liveobjects/rest-api-usage.mdx

+```
+</Code>
+
+Note in this example if the key `title` didn't exist it would have been created and set by this operation.


Why is this mentioned? This isn't a case of e.g. creating a counter object and assigning it to a key via a COUNTER_CREATE with a path field. This is a regular map set, so I'm not sure what this comment is for.

Your right its not needed. I think I was trying to convey that map sets are idempotent.

mschristensen · 2025-10-30T17:12:28Z

static/open-specs/liveobjects.yaml

+          schema:
+            type: string
+            example: "my-channel"
+        - name: compacted


The query argument is compact, not compacted

mschristensen · 2025-10-30T17:14:16Z

static/open-specs/liveobjects.yaml

Some of the new endpoints contain descriptions and references to e.g. query options that are not valid in the new endpoints:

When looking into this I realised I can't reuse the original definitions of LiveMap and LiveCounter because they contain the MetaData. I have created a second version of these types so that we preserve the old ones for the deprecated API docs.

See in this fixup 30f0e02e1ae1b9737f5c7607b492abbe14ee1f5f which has the new types added.

Depricate all the current LiveObjects endpoints. Add three new specification endpoints: 1. /channels/{channelId}/object POST: publish live objects operations 2. /channels/{channelId}/object GET : get an object 2. /channels/{channelId}/object/{objectId} GET : get an object by ID

The LiveObjects API usage docs have been updated to reference the new endpoints.

kaschula · 2025-11-03T16:14:57Z

src/pages/docs/liveobjects/rest-api-usage.mdx

-To include values of the objects in the response, set the `values=true` query parameter:
+#### Get the entire object with metadata <a id="fetching-object"/>

+You can optionally include additional object [metadata](/docs/liveobjects/concepts/objects#metadata) in the response by specifying the `compact=false` query option:


@mschristensen I was just checking all the anchor tags work and realised that this metadata link shows information about Tomestones and Timeserials but we don't actually return any of these any more. The only metadata return now is the semantic type of a map and the object ID. Should I remove the Tomestones and Timeserials information from this page? https://ably.com/docs/liveobjects/concepts/objects#metadata

kaschula marked this pull request as draft October 14, 2025 14:34

kaschula requested a review from mschristensen October 14, 2025 14:34

kaschula marked this pull request as ready for review October 17, 2025 09:31

mschristensen requested changes Oct 30, 2025

View reviewed changes

kaschula force-pushed the pub-2563-update-live-objects-rest-docs branch from 30f0e02 to 401914e Compare November 3, 2025 15:14

kaschula added 3 commits November 3, 2025 15:16

feat: update LiveObjects usage docs

a11f2df

The LiveObjects API usage docs have been updated to reference the new endpoints.

fixup! feat: update LiveObjects usage docs

6162fd0

kaschula force-pushed the pub-2563-update-live-objects-rest-docs branch from 401914e to 6162fd0 Compare November 3, 2025 15:16

kaschula added 2 commits November 3, 2025 15:54

fixup! feat: update LiveObjects usage docs

510ab73

fixup! feat: update LiveObjects usage docs

7537280

kaschula commented Nov 3, 2025

View reviewed changes

fixup! feat: update LiveObjects usage docs

c00f53d

kaschula requested a review from mschristensen November 3, 2025 16:21

	#### Get the entire object with metatdata <a id="fetching-object"/>
	#### Get the entire object with metadata <a id="fetching-object"/>

	The following request returns the entrie object tree.
	The following request returns the entire channel object.

	This endpoint by default returns the compact representation of the object tree.
	This endpoint returns the compact representation of the object tree by default.

	By providing the `compact=false` query param the response will contain the full object representation including the
	You can optionally include additional object [metadata](/docs/liveobjects/concepts/objects#metadata) in the response by specifying the `compact=false` query option:

	Both these requests are billed per object returned.
	Each instance of an [object type](/docs/liveobjects/concepts/objects#object-types) included is the response is counted as one billable message.

feat: Update the LiveObjects Rest Documentation #2884

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kaschula commented Oct 14, 2025 •

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