# Language Interoperability

> Learn how Taxi integrates with existing schema languages and API specifications

Source: https://taxilang.org/docs/other-api-specs/working-with-other-api-specs

## Overview

Taxi is designed to work alongside your existing schema languages and API specifications rather than replace them. By adding semantic metadata to your existing specs, you create a semantic layer that connects data across different systems and formats.

> **Note: Enhancement, Not Replacement**
>
> Teams can continue using their preferred schema formats and toolchains. Taxi adds semantic meaning through lightweight metadata annotations.

## Supported Formats

### OpenAPI/Swagger
Add semantic types to your REST APIs using `x-taxi-type` extensions:

```yaml
   paths:
     /customers/{id}:
       get:
         parameters:
           - name: id
             schema:
               type: string
>              x-taxi-type:
>                name: acme.CustomerId
```

[Open API reference](https://taxilang.org/docs/other-api-specs/open-api)

### Protocol Buffers
Enhance protocol buffer messages using the `taxi.dataType` extension:

```protobuf
   message Customer {
>    optional string id = 1 [(taxi.dataType)="acme.CustomerId"];
>    optional string email = 2 [(taxi.dataType)="acme.EmailAddress"];
   }
```

[Protobuf reference](https://taxilang.org/docs/other-api-specs/protobuf)

### Avro
Add semantic meaning to Avro schemas via the `taxi.dataType` attribute:

```json
   {
     "type": "record",
     "name": "Customer",
     "fields": [
       {
         "name": "id",
         "type": "string",
>        "taxi.dataType": "acme.CustomerId"
       }
     ]
   }
```

[Avro reference](https://taxilang.org/docs/other-api-specs/avro)

### SOAP/WSDL
Enhance SOAP services using the `taxi:type` attribute:

```xml
<xs:element name="GetCustomerRequest">
   <xs:complexType>
      <xs:sequence>
         <xs:element name="customerId" type="xs:string"
>           taxi:type="acme.CustomerId"/>
      </xs:sequence>
   </xs:complexType>
</xs:element>
```

[Soap reference](https://taxilang.org/docs/other-api-specs/soap)

## Data Formats
Taxi also provides annotations for common data formats.

Taxi includes annotations for common data formats like CSV and XML, enabling schema definitions for 
formats that may not have formal specifications. 

While Taxi defines these formats, the actual reading and writing of data is handled by TaxiQL query engines, such as [Orbital](https://orbitalhq.com)

### CSV
```taxi
>  @Csv(delimiter = "|")
   model CustomerExport {
      id: CustomerId
      email: EmailAddress
   }
```

[Csv reference](https://taxilang.org/docs/other-api-specs/csv)

### XML
```taxi
>  @Xml
   model CustomerImport {
>     @XmlAttribute
      id: CustomerId
      email: EmailAddress
   }
```

[Xml reference](https://taxilang.org/docs/other-api-specs/xml)