API reference
=============


PHP public API
--------------

The public API is contained in the OCP namespace. See the `OCP API reference
<https://nextcloud-server.netlify.app/>`_ for further details.


PHP unstable API
----------------

To avoid releasing incomplete public API, it is possible to release a
first version of the future API in the `NCU` namespace, following these rules:

- Files are located in ``/lib/unstable/``
- Code quality, comments, tests and psalm check are expected to be identical to the `OCP` namespace.
- Classes must be tag as ``@experimental``, including the current version of Nextcloud.
- Tag ``@since`` must not be used in the `NCU` namespace.
- Code from the `OCP` namespace must never mention anything coming from the `NCU` namespace. It can not require it as an argument, constant or return something from `NCU`.
- An API can only live in this unstable namespace for one major release.
- During this testing phase, the code and the API can be modified/restructured without limitation.
- API within the testing namespace must have up-to-date documentation.
- If accepted, the API will be copied to the `OCP` public namespace.
- Once tested, the version from the `NCU` namespace will be marked as deprecated.
- Deprecated API from the `NCU` namespace are kept for 2 major releases.

.. note::
  - API from `NCU` are included to the ``nextcloud-deps/OCP`` package for easier testing with psalm