User:Addshore/API Break September 2015

We have some breaking API changes that will soon be deployed to wikidata.org.

The breaks mainly concern the XML output although the JSON will also change slightly.

Below you can fine details about them!

Details edit

Gerrit change: https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/#/c/227686
Phabricator task: https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T95168
Mailing list announcement links:
Project announcement links:
- Wikidata:Project_chat#API_breaking_change_.289th_September.29
- Wikidata_talk:Bots#API_breaking_change_.289th_September.29
Date merged into master: 27 August 2015
Branch to first appear on: 1.26wmf22
Date to be deployed to wikidata.beta.wmflabs.org: 28th August 2015 >> current known issue https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T110668
Date to be deployed to test.wikidata.org: 8th September 2015
Date to be deployed to wikidata.org: 9th September 2015

The breaking changes edit

XML output aliases are now grouped by language
XML output may no longer give elements when they are empty
XML any claim, qualifier, reference or snak elements that had an '_idx' element will no longer have it
ALL output may now give empty elements, ie. labels when an entity has none

Sample XML changes edit

Sample JSON changes edit

Before:

{
	"entities": {
		"q42": {
			"id": "q42",
			"revision": 31186,
			"timestamp": "20120716140702",
			"labels": {
				"en": {
					"language": "en",
					"value": "Death Star"
				},
				"nn": {
					"language": "nn",
					"value": "Dødsstjerna"
				}
			},
			"sitelinks": {
				"enwiki": {
					"site": "enwiki",
					"title": "Death Star"
				}
			}
		}
	},
	"success": 1
}

After:

{
	"entities": {
		"q42": {
			"id": "q42",
			"revision": 31186,
			"timestamp": "20120716140702",
			"labels": {
				"en": {
					"language": "en",
					"value": "Death Star"
				},
				"nn": {
					"language": "nn",
					"value": "Dødsstjerna"
				}
			},
			"descriptions": {},
			"aliases": {},
			"sitelinks": {
				"enwiki": {
					"site": "enwiki",
					"title": "Death Star"
				}
			},
            "claims": {}
		}
	},
	"success": 1
}

Finally edit

As well as an API change you may also notice that the JSON dumps may increase in size, although the format will not change.

This will be due to the JSON format including empty parts where previously they were removed.

If you have any questions regarding these breaking changes please ask!

·addshore· ^{talk to me!} 11:51, 27 August 2015 (UTC)