Developers' Network Blog

We added a few more features in xISBN service recently:

- JSON callback

JSON output is native JavaScript, and callbacks are particularly useful for use with web service requests in client-side JavaScript. see:

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/xisbnadmin/doc/api.htm#callback

- tab-delimited format dissemination

This is useful if you need to do a unix cut:

$ curl "http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/0596002815?method=getEditions&fl=title,year&format=txt" | cut -f 2

- a demo of integrating Googlebooks with xISBN JSON callback

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/xisbndemo/index.htm

This is the presentation from midwinter ALA. The exact data, schema, etc etc returned by the WorldCat API is of course evolving as we speak from what is in this presentation.

http://worldcat.org/devnet/blog/presentations/2008_01_ALA_Grid_Intro.pdf

Don

In this monthly update we add a few new features:

- support paging of large result by two parameters: "startIndex" and "count".

xISBN by default returns first 1000 matched ISBNs, however there are a few works with more than 1000 matches (e.g. Bible), in that case, the remaining ISBNs can be fetched by the paging method. We use "startIndex" and "count" parameters to page the result. The same technique can be used if the client desired less than 1000 records in response. The definition of startIndex and count is same as OpenSearch Specification. To do a paging request:

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/9789574760442?method=getEditions&startIndex=1&count=2

- support two new fields: city (city of publication) and lccn (Library of Congress Control Number),e.g.

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/2841770893?fl=city,lccn

LCCN can be considered a more significant feature as it allows mapping of
identifiers.

- author field now use all author name

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/2841770893?fl=author

-- support serialization to csv format (UTF-8 encoding)
http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/2841770893?format=csv&fl=*

-- xISBN service now covers 16,662,967 ISBNs and 13,308,218 FRBR groups, for more information, please check
http://xisbn.worldcat.org/xisbnadmin/doc/stat.htm

Thanks to everyone who was at the 'Introduction to WorldCat Grid' session and to all who made the Developer's Network meet and greet which included a demo of the WorldCat API. I met a variety of you and had quite a few interesting discussions about the WorldCat Grid and the API.

We are pressing ahead with the invitation release of the API for late February. We want to accommodate as many as who are interested -- I know there will be some who may be disappointed not to be on this first list.

I will be posting the presentation soon.

My Philadelphia experience was positive. Philly has a real 'walkers' central city and I took advantage of that. Hopped the train from the hotel to the airport - enjoyed the rapid transit. Maybe because Columbus Ohio is the opposite - closest passenger train is 100 miles away.

Don Hamparian
Portfolio Manager WorldCat Grid Services

I've called the ALA Conference "The Show", and for good reason, although the real show is not really Midwinter, but Annual. Midwinter is a lot like Annual, though, but with less people, so perhaps I can be forgiven for failing to draw a clear boundary line.

Nonetheless, the WorldCat Grid and Developer's Network were unveiled to the Midwinter attendees at a number of venues:

• Policies Directory Update
• Policies Directory Update and the WorldCat Registry
• Introducing WorldCat Grid
• Developer's Network Meet and Greet
• WorldCat Registry Update

I also devoted a part of the RLG Heads of Systems meeting to the WorldCat Grid and Developer's Network.

At the Developer's Network Meet and Greet, Don demonstrated the WorldCat API to an interested audience of 30-40 developers. The beer probably didn't hurt either.

All in all, we're quite happy with how the meeting went, and are already looking forward to the real "show" in Anaheim in June. We hope to see you there!