SDK Reinvented: Document Image Analysis Methods as RESTful Web Services

Document Image Analysis (DIA) systems become ever more advanced, but also more complex -- computationally, and logically. This increases the difficulty of integrating existing state-of-the-art approaches into new research or into practical workflows. The current approach to sharing software is publishing source code -- leaving the burden to the integrator -- or creating a Software Development Kit (SDK) which is often restricted to one programming language. We present DIVAServices a framework for sharing and accessing DIA methods within the research community and beyond. Using a RESTful web service architecture we provide access to the methods, leading to only one system on which the binaries of methods need to be maintained. All it takes for a developer to use an algorithm is a simple HTTP request with the image data and parameters for the method and they will receive the computed results in a format that allows for seamless integration into any kind of workflow or for further processing. Furthermore, DIVAServices is open-source, enabling other research groups or libraries to host their own instance in their environment. Using this framework, future DIA systems can be built on the shoulders of well tested algorithms, accessible to everyone.