How to specify subset of model properties in swagger API route documentation - swagger

Question

Working on writing an API spec for my service with swagger. I'm using a model definition ('#/definitions/prototype') as the body parameter of both the POST /prototypes and PATCH /prototypes/:id routes.
How do you specify that the PATCH route only accepts a subset of the properties in the body of the request that the POST route does? For example, I want the PATCH /instances/:id route to only allow modification of the mobileDeviceId prototypes property.
swagger: "2.0"
info:
title: ""
description: ""
version: "1.0.0"
host: foo.example.com
schemes:
- https
basePath: /v1
produces:
- application/json
consumes:
- application/json
paths:
/prototypes:
post:
summary: Create new prototype
parameters:
- name: prototype
in: body
description: Prototype object
required: true
schema:
$ref: "#/definitions/Prototype"
responses:
201:
description: Success
schema:
$ref: "#/definitions/SuccessCreated"
403:
description: Prototype limit exceeded error
schema:
$ref: "#/definitions/Error"
default:
description: Unexpected error
schema:
$ref: "#/definitions/Error"
/prototypes/{id}:
patch:
summary: Update an existing prototype's properties
parameters:
- name: id
in: path
type: number
description: ID property of a prototype
required: true
- name: prototype
in: body
description: Prototype object
required: true
schema:
$ref: "#/definitions/Prototype"
responses:
200:
description: Success
definitions:
Prototype:
type: object
properties:
id:
type: integer
format: int64
name:
type: string
mobileDeviceId:
type: number
SuccessCreated:
type: object
description: Returned as response to successful resource create request
properties:
code:
type: number
default: 201
message:
type: string
Error:
type: object
properties:
code:
type: integer
format: int32
message:
type: string
fields:
type: string

Answer 1

Swagger uses json-schema: http://json-schema.org
$refs provide you w/ a way to repeat existing json-schema at a new path.
Notice that you are using a $ref for patch/parameters/-name:prototype/schema.
You can create a new definition just for patch in the definitions section and reference it instead
swagger: "2.0"
info:
title: ""
description: ""
version: "1.0.0"
host: foo.example.com
schemes:
- https
basePath: /v1
produces:
- application/json
consumes:
- application/json
paths:
/prototypes:
post:
summary: Create new prototype
parameters:
- name: prototype
in: body
description: Prototype object
required: true
schema:
$ref: "#/definitions/Prototype"
responses:
201:
description: Success
schema:
$ref: "#/definitions/SuccessCreated"
403:
description: Prototype limit exceeded error
schema:
$ref: "#/definitions/Error"
default:
description: Unexpected error
schema:
$ref: "#/definitions/Error"
/prototypes/{id}:
patch:
summary: Update an existing prototype's properties
parameters:
- name: id
in: path
type: number
description: ID property of a prototype
required: true
- name: prototype
in: body
description: Prototype object
required: true
schema:
$ref: "#/definitions/PatchPrototype"
responses:
200:
description: Success
definitions:
Prototype:
type: object
properties:
id:
type: integer
format: int64
name:
type: string
mobileDeviceId:
type: number
PatchPrototype:
type: object
properties:
mobileDeviceId:
type: number
SuccessCreated:
type: object
description: Returned as response to successful resource create request
properties:
code:
type: number
default: 201
message:
type: string
Error:
type: object
properties:
code:
type: integer
format: int32
message:
type: string
fields:
type: string