Merge pull request #732 from Zabith-Fulail/main

initial idea submisstion sabith fulail API Dash feature improvements

Author: animator

doc/proposals/2025/gsoc/idea_sabith_fulail_api_dash_feature_improvements.md

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+### Initial Idea Submission
+
+Full Name:   Sabith Fulail
+University name:   Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT | Colombo, Sri Lanka)
+Program you are enrolled in (Degree & Major/Minor):   BSc (Hons) Computer Science (Data Science)
+Year:  3rd Year
+Expected graduation date:  May, 2026
+
+Project Title: Adding Support for API Authentication Methods
+
+Relevant issues:
+    [#557](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/557) – Pre-request and post-request scripts
+    [#121](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/121) – Importing from/Exporting to OpenAPI/Swagger specification
+    [#337](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/337) – Support for application/x-www-form-urlencoded
+    [#352](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/352) – Support file as request body
+    [#22](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/22)   – JSON body syntax highlighting, beautification, validation
+    [#581](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/581) – Beautify JSON request body (Closed)
+    [#582](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/582) – Syntax highlighting for JSON request body (Closed)
+    [#583](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/583) – Validation for JSON request body
+    [#590](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/590) – Environment variable support in request body
+    [#591](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/591) – Environment variable support for text request body
+    [#592](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/592) – Environment variable support for JSON request body
+    [#593](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/593) – Environment variable support for form request body
+    [#599](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/599) – Support for comments in JSON request body
+    [#600](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/600) – Reading environment variables from OS environment
+    [#601](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/601) – Adding color support for environments
+    [#373](https://github.com/foss42/apidash/issues/373) – In-app update notifications
+
+Idea description:
+    This project will streamline API testing in API Dash by introducing pre/post-request scripting, robust OpenAPI/Swagger interoperability, 
+    and enhanced JSON/GraphQL editing. These changes will reduce manual effort in API debugging and improve workflow efficiency.
+
+
+Implementation Plan
+Phase 1: Research & Planning (Week 1-2)
+    Study existing API Dash architecture and feature requests.
+    Prioritize features based on complexity and impact.
+    Research best practices for JSON syntax validation, GraphQL handling, and API import/export.
+
+Phase 2: Core Feature Development (Week 3-10)
+ 1. Pre-Request & Post-Request Scripts (#557)
+    Enable users to modify requests and responses dynamically before sending. 
+    This includes automating tasks such as adding authentication tokens, handling environment variables, 
+    chaining API requests, and transforming request/response data.
+
+ 2. OpenAPI/Swagger Import & Export (#121)
+    Allow importing API requests from OpenAPI/Swagger JSON/YAML files.
+    Implement API export functionality to generate valid OpenAPI specifications.
+
+ 3. JSON Body Enhancements (#22)
+    Add syntax highlighting, beautification, and validation for JSON request bodies.
+    Provide auto-formatting and error detection for malformed JSON.
+
+ 4. GraphQL Editor Improvements
+    Add expand/collapse feature for GraphQL queries.
+    Implement support for GraphQL fragments, mutations, and subscriptions.
+    Improve GraphQL schema inspection.
+
+ 5. Support for More Content Types (#337)
+    Add support for application/x-www-form-urlencoded and file upload as request body.
+
+Phase 3: Enhancements & Testing (Week 11-14)
+ 6. Environment Variable & UI Improvements (#600, #601)
+    Allow reading OS environment variables directly.
+    Introduce color-coded environments (e.g., RED for Prod, GREEN for Dev).
+
+ 7. In-App Update Notifications (#373)
+    Notify users when a new version of API Dash is available.
+    Provide an update button to quickly navigate to the latest release.
+
+ 8. Increase Test Coverage
+    Write more widget & integration tests to improve code coverage.
+    Ensure major UI and backend features are fully tested before release.
+
+Tech Stack & Tools
+        Feature	            |       Tech/Tools
+
+    Frontend	            |     Flutter (Dart)
+    API Parsing             |     OpenAPI, Swagger
+    JSON Enhancements       |     CodeMirror, Ace Editor
+    GraphQL	                |     GraphQL Parser (Dart)
+    Testing	                |     Widget Testing, Integration Testing
+    Environment Handling    |     OS Environment Variables (Dart)
+
+
+Why This Project?
+ Enhances Developer Productivity – Improves usability with better request handling, scripting, and JSON validation.
+ Better GraphQL Support – Adds crucial missing features to enhance GraphQL development.
+ Improves API Import/Export – Makes API Dash more interoperable with OpenAPI and Swagger.
+ Strengthens Stability & Testing – Increases test coverage and enhances debugging efficiency.
+
+These improvements will help make API Dash more competitive with other API tools by adding support for advanced 
+use cases such as authentication management, JSON syntax validation, and seamless GraphQL integration
+
+Future Scope
+    Implement gRPC support to expand API Dash's capabilities.
+    Improve UI/UX for better user experience.
+    Add VS Code & JetBrains integration for a seamless developer workflow.
+    
+This project will provide meaningful improvements to API Dash and enhance the overall user experience.
+I am excited to work on these features and contribute to making API Dash a more powerful tool!
+