The scope you described focuses on sharing JSON representations (schema) between interfaces, so I've split the interface sharing aspects of this into to try to improve which aspect we focus on at a particular time.

I think a good starting point would be to frame the problem here, and try to keep it to the simplest terms possible.

We have interfaces (raml) that define their data in schemas. At some point, we will want to build interfaces that either return the data from another interface, or provide data into another interface, or both. This means that we will need to define schemas based on existing schemas.

Ideally, we do not want to have to rewrite our dependent schemas every time a schema that they reference is changed. Also we don't want to have to re-write existing schemas, because we programmers and we tend to be efficient (the unenlightened would say lazy), and re-writing what already exists makes us sad.

The problem comes in finding a way to provide references to existing schemas in a sane fashion. We want to be able to:

• Refer to an existing schema by $ref as opposed to copying it verbosely.

• Build dependent schemas locally, without needing http access to pull down information, since that puts restrictions on how we can build.

• Allow for a versioned approach, so that we can reference particular versions of a schema in our dependent schemas.

Before I venture onto any potential solutions, does anybody have any other requirements to suggest, or possible different views of the problem we’re trying to address?