[WIP] MSC1956: Integrations API (base)

proposals/1956-integrations-api-base.md

@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+# MSC1956: Integrations API
+
+"Integration managers" are applications that help clients bring integrations (bridges, bots, widgets, etc)
+to users. This can be for things like setting up an IRC bridge or adding a Giphy bot to the room. Integration
+managers have been popularized by Riot, however other clients also have support for concept as well although
+to a lesser extent.
+
+Integration managers are important to the Matrix ecosystem as they help abstract away the underlying integration
+and allow providers of the integratiosn to manage access to them. For example, there are multiple XMPP bridges
+available in the Matrix ecosystem and an integration manager is in the best position to handle the different APIs
+each exposes, generalizing the API exposed to clients. Similarly, the integration manager could charge for access
+to specific integrations such as sticker packs or per-user access to a bridge.
+
+This proposal introduces a new Matrix API: the "Integrations API" (or "Integrations Specification") which covers
+how integration managers and integrations themselves cooperate with clients. Typically these kinds of extensions
+to Matrix would be put into the Client-Server API, however the integration manager is not typically the same as
+the user's homeserver and is therefore ideal to be specified indepdently.
+
+
+## Glossary
+
+Due to the introduction of a new API, some common terminology is to be established:
+
+An **Integration Manager** (or *Integrations Manager*, or simply *Manager*) is an application which assists users
+and/or clients in setting up *Integrations*.
+
+**Integrations** are something the *Integration Manager* exposes, such as *Bots*, *Bridges*, and *Widgets*.
+
+A **Bot** is typically a Matrix user which provides a utility service, such as Github Notifications or reaction
+GIFs.
+
+A **Bridge** is typically an Application Service which proxies events between Matrix and a 3rd party platform,
+such as IRC. Bridges may also operate in a single direction and have other features like *Puppeting*, which are
+not covered here. For information on the various types of bridging, please see the
+[reference guide](https://matrix.org/docs/guides/types-of-bridging.html).
+
+**Widgets** are embedded web applications in a Matrix client. These are split into two types: **Account Widgets**
+and **Room Widgets**. *Account Widgets* are specific to a particular Matrix user and not shared with other users
+whereas *Room Widgets* are shared with the members of the room they reside in.
+
+A **Trusted Integration Manager** is an *Integration Manager* which the client has deemed trustworthy by its own
+criteria. For example, this may be defined as being known as an account widget, discovered by .well-known, or
+being set in the client's configuration. By proxy, an **Untrusted Integration Manager** is the opposite.
+
+The **Integration Manager API** is the set of HTTP endpoints which clients can use to interact with a given
+*Integration Manager*.
+
+The **Widget API** is the set of `postMessage` APIs which are used for clients and *Widgets* to communicate with
+each other when embedded.
+
+The **Integrations API** is the set of both the *Integration Manager API* and *Widget API* as well as any other
+details which affect *Widgets* or *Integration Managers* and their interactions with clients.
+
+
+## Proposal
+
+A new Integrations API be introduced into Matrix which consists of the components listed in this proposal.
+
+**Components**:
+
+* API Standards (see later section of this proposal)
+* Discovery - [MSC1957](https:/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/1957)
+* Widgets
+ * Includes [MSC1236](https:/matrix-org/matrix-doc/issues/1236)
+ * Includes [MSC1958](https:/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/1958)
+ * Includes [MSC1960](https:/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/1960)
+ * MSC for extensions and alterations not yet defined
+ * ***TODO: MSC for each or group them by subject?***
+ * The first version of the Widget API is to be `0.1.0`, with the existing `0.0.x` versions being flagged as
+ development versions which are otherwise unspecified.
+* Sticker picker and custom emoji
+ * Includes [MSC1951](https:/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/1951)
+ * Includes [MSC1959](https:/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/1959)
+* Authentication in integration managers - [MSC1961](https:/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/1961)
+* Terms of service / policies - [MSC2140](https:/matrix-org/matrix-doc/pull/2140)
+* Integration manager specific APIs
+ * MSC and scope not yet defined
+
+***TODO: Define where paid integrations, OAuth, etc all fit if at all.***
+***TODO: Finalize what goes into this spec.***
+
+
+## Proposed API standards
+
+All HTTP APIs in this specification must consume and produce JSON unless otherwise indicated. Errors emitted by
+these APIs should follow the standard error responses defined by other APIs in Matrix. Some common error responses
+implementations may encounter are:
+* `403` `{"errcode":"M_UNKNOWN_TOKEN","error":"Invalid token"}`
+* `400` `{"errcode":"M_MISSING_PARAM","error":"Missing 'matrix_server_name'"}`
+* `400` `{"errcode":"M_INVALID_PARAM","error":"'matrix_server_name' must be a string"}`
+* `400` `{"errcode":"M_NOT_FOUND","error":"The sharable URL did not resolve to a pack"}`
+
+
+## Tradeoffs
+
+Specifying a whole new set of APIs means introducing another complex system into Matrix, potentially causing
+confusion or concerns about the architecture of Matrix or its implementations. It is believed by the author that
+having a dedicated set of APIs for this system within Matrix is important to reduce the burden on homeserver
+authors and to support client authors in their ambitions to grow Matrix through bridges, bots, etc.
+
+It is also questionable if integration managers should be a concept within Matrix as the APIs which clients would
+be interacting with can be generically exposed by the integrations themselves without the need for a manager. The
+manager's role in this specification is to provide clients with the opportunity to quickly get themselves connected
+with the larger Matrix ecossytem without adding the burden of designing their own interface. The majority of the
+APIs are defined such that a client is able to put their own UI on top of the manager instead of embedding that
+manager if desired by the client.
+
+
+## Potential issues
+
+Clients which support today's ecosystem of integration managers have a lot of work to do to support this proposal
+in all its parts. In addition, integration managers themselves have a decent amount of work in order to become
+compliant. The exercise of this proposal is not to make development harder for the projects in the ecosystem, but
+to standardize on a set of APIs which bridge the gap between managers while also patching inadequacies in the current
+systems.
+
+
+## Security considerations
+
+Each proposal which branches off this proposal has its own set of security considerations. As a whole, clients are
+expected to make decisions on which integration managers are trusted, and integration managers are encouraged to do
+the same with clients and integrations.
+
+
+## Conclusion / TLDR
+
+Add a new API specification for interactions between integrations and clients. APIs for interactions between the
+integrations and managers is undefined and left as an implementation detail.