Notable DDI XML issues

[David Berg]

I'm putting this thread in place so that notable XML issues with DDI
XML can be documented for anyone doing work with the data. Please
refrain from adding information about missing links to specific files
or documenting incorrect rules in this thread. It is meant for
patterns discovered from analysis of the XML data.

This should serve as a catch all thread for any XML used in the DDI
tools not just the character builder. As such, it is recommended that
an indication be made as to which tool the documentation is referring.

My hope is that this will save some time for anyone developing with
the data supplied by the DDI tools.

[David Berg]

TOOL: DDI Compendium

[David Berg]

TOOL: DDI Compendium
ISSUE: Glossary IDs are duplicated
Date Discovered: 02/02/2012

Description:

I have noticed that certain ID numbers are being duplicated. This
results in uri failures if the id is used as the sole reference.
As such the following uri http://www.wizards.com/dndinsider/compendium/glossary.aspx?id=27
resolves to the spider entry and no id exists for athletics under the
glossary
instead athletics appears in skills with the same id
http://www.wizards.com/dndinsider/compendium/skill.aspx?id=27
Similar patterns exist with other glossary items. Specifically, this
was seen in items with a category of "Skills" and a Type of "Rules
Other". The patterns was not seen in
glossary items with a category of "Skills" and a Type of "Keyword".
Thus it is assumed that at some point errors were introduced to the
XML or that
design specifications changed to split skills into two types. The
"keyword" type refers directly to the glossary id. The "rules other"
type refers to the compendium
skill id and not the compendium glossary id.

Example:

<Glossary>
<ID>27</ID>
<Name>spider</Name>
<Category>Monsters</Category>
<Type>Keyword</Type>
<SourceBook>Monster Manual 2, Monster Manual, Rules Compendium,
Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale</SourceBook>
</Glossary>

<Glossary>
<ID>27</ID>
<Name>Athletics</Name>
<Category>Skills</Category>
<Type>Rules Other</Type>
<SourceBook>Player's Handbook, Rules Compendium</SourceBook>
</Glossary>