ReliefWeb API v1.2 released
Shuichi Odaka
Today we are announcing the release of version 1.2 of the ReliefWeb API. This release introduces two new parameters to help developers build API queries targeting more specific use cases, and sets the stage for use to identify and support more use cases in the future.
New Parameters
The profile parameter allows you to select one of several predetermined sets of fields. This is a substitute for micro-managing each field you need to use if your needs closely align with one of these pre-built profiles. In the future, the profile parameter may also be used to indicate something about the structure and format of the payload.
The preset parameter allows you to select from a pre-built query. Use one of the preset options as a starting point then add your own parameters to further refine your request.
Between these two parameters we hope developers will be able to more quickly built the API requests they need instead of focusing on a lot of “boilerplate parameter setup” and get started integration ReliefWeb content faster. You can read more about how they work in the documentation at http://reliefweb.int/help/api/intro.
More Access to Historical Content
The analysis preset is something special: we are opening even more of our content via the API. This preset allows access to a broader range of content that we have expired or archived out of normal usage. Combined with the facets system released as part of the v1.1 release you can now build apps that perform deeper analysis of humanitarian situations across the last decades.
Next Steps
We are thinking about web widgets and how to get the community more geo-ready content.
API Community Participation
As part of this release we have crafted an API Commons (apicommons.org) manifest and made it available as a part of the API. In its own words, the objective of the API Commons project is to “Provide a simple and transparent mechanism for the copyright free sharing and collaborative design of API specifications, interfaces and data models.” We believe in the collaborative nature of API Design and open access to use best practices, and look forward to seeing how this initiative grows.
You will not see us listed on that site yet, as publishing the manifest is only step 1 in the process (http://apicommons.org/add-apis.html). We wanted to keep the manifest close to our API so we could measure holistic interest in this project.
Want to Learn More?
If you are curious in learning more about the ReliefWeb API please check out the documentation and the API itself.
Changelog
Enhancements & Additions
- Added preset and profile parameters
- Expanded access to older & expired content
Bug Fixes
- Fixed incorrect Vary header.
