Parse Adds New Schema API and API Console

Parse has announced its new Schema API, which allows to programmatically manipulate the database schema used by an app, and the Parse API Console, which aims to make it easier to use Parse REST API without writing any code.

Schema API

Parse's new Schema API allows developers to "see all classes present" in their apps "along with the fields and the types present in each field." The new Schema API can be used, according to Parse, "to verify operations in a unit test, generate test data, generate test classes and then clean up after tests." It is in itself a REST API which support the GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE verbs to manipulate the database schema according to the CRUD model. To fetch the schema for a class in a specific app, e.g., you could run:

curl -X GET \
  -H "X-Parse-Application-Id: ejUnY--cD612D0--FmGFZMxWRNTRDbXXL--NUD" \
  -H "X-Parse-Master-Key: hBXPL9x--qm3cNIfZYL--lkXAVuhV--TYr1YcC--" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  https://api.parse.com/1/schemas/Game

which would return something like:

{
  "results": [
    {
      "className": "Game",
      "fields": {
        "ACL": {
          "type": "ACL"
        },
        "createdAt": {
          "type": "Date"
        },
        "objectId": {
          "type": "String"
        },
        "name": {
          "type": "String"
        },
        "score": {
          "type": "Number"
        },
        "updatedAt": {
          "type": "Date"
        }
      }
    }]
  }

Parse API Console

Parse API Console provide access to Parse REST API to play around with it or explore issues. The new tool is available from Parse's dashboard and using it is just a matter of choosing the request verb and endpoint, and set the username, and request body. The request can then be sent to Parse, or exported to cURL. The main benefit of using Parse API Console is that it makes it easy to build a proper REST request without resorting to writing code, which can speed up, according to Parse, both debugging and exploration.

Parse has additionally announced support for Xamarin and Unity push notifications on both iOS and Android platforms. Parse Push allows developers to easily run push campaigns, carry through A/B testing to improve the effectiveness of push messages, and "segment your target audience with custom conditions."