Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

Gabrys 10 Feb 2011 11:44

I'm glad to say, that we have an improvement in API in internal testing. The change if put to production is incompatible with what already works in API subject in the following means:

• The old methods will stop working. The V2 methods would be available only.
• Current API keys would be deleted — you need to update the keys for your apps.
• [new] All Pro users (and non-Pro users that have been given API keys before), would get two keys automatically via the User Account menu (one read-only, one read-write).
• Only site members will be allowed to read from a site (per-site fine-grained configuration UI is being worked on)

Please tell us if you rely on old API methods and how, so we can do the update so that no-one is harmed.

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Piotr Gabryjeluk
visit my blog

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

leiger 10 Feb 2011 23:33

Please tell us if you rely on old API methods and how, so we can do the update so that no-one is harmed.

The only old API method that I rely on is the user.sites method, which has no version 2 method to do the same thing.

At the moment I'm simply using it to check if a username and API key match correctly (passing in a user name and checking to see if Wikidot gives me a list of sites, or an error message). Later I was planning to use the list of sites itself.

So I would request that this old API method remain operational, or that a new v2 method be added that provides similar functionality.

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~ Leiger - Wikidot Community Admin - Volunteer
Wikidot: Official Documentation | Wikidot Discord server | NEW: Wikiroo, backup tool (in development)

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

Gabrys 11 Feb 2011 08:15

That's bad, we wanted to discard this functionality because we want API to always work on site, so user needs to know the site first (and not for example choose it from suggestion list).

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Piotr Gabryjeluk
visit my blog

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

leiger 11 Feb 2011 08:33

The suggestion list part is fine - users can define a few sites (manually) that they frequently use and only those can be used for auto-completion etc. So there is no need to get the full list of every single site from the API then.

However there should at least be some way of verifying a username. For example, a method that returns the username of the current user, or a way to enter the username and be informed if it is correct or not (the work-around that I am using at the moment).

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I've also asked in the past for other user information, which could be part of the same v2 API method - e.g.

• number of unread PMs (but not the content!)
• number of open invitations (but not any details about which sites, etc.)

… that way a program can periodically check if there is a new PM or invitation and alert the user if there is. That would be something I'd use for my own account, rather than having to check my e-mail inbox … … however I am given the impression that Wikidot does not wish to provide this type of information via the API either? :\

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~ Leiger - Wikidot Community Admin - Volunteer
Wikidot: Official Documentation | Wikidot Discord server | NEW: Wikiroo, backup tool (in development)

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

Gabrys 11 Feb 2011 08:39

However there should at least be some way of verifying a username. For example, a method that returns the username of the current user, or a way to enter the username and be informed if it is correct or not (the work-around that I am using at the moment).

OK, this seams fair and probably useful too :-)

I've also asked in the past for other user information, which could be part of the same v2 API method - e.g.

• number of unread PMs (but not the content!)
• number of open invitations (but not any details about which sites, etc.)

… that way a program can periodically check if there is a new PM or invitation and alert the user if there is. That would be something I'd use for my own account, rather than having to check my e-mail inbox … … however I am given the impression that Wikidot does not wish to provide this type of information via the API either? :

At first, we want only site API. This is the most important part. API for dealing with user activities, PMs etc may be done later.

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Piotr Gabryjeluk
visit my blog

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

Gabrys 11 Feb 2011 13:43

BTW: for simple user-password checking you can always use system.listMethods method that lists available methods :-)

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Piotr Gabryjeluk
visit my blog

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

leiger 11 Feb 2011 22:18

BTW: for simple user-password checking you can always use system.listMethods method that lists available methods :-)

That only checks if the API key is correct, doesn't it? :S

As far as I know the "username" field is never validated, because it is actually meant to be used for the application name rather than the user's Wikidot username.

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~ Leiger - Wikidot Community Admin - Volunteer
Wikidot: Official Documentation | Wikidot Discord server | NEW: Wikiroo, backup tool (in development)

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

Gabrys 12 Feb 2011 14:01

Yes, that's completely right. I mean for API key validation not user/password validation.

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Piotr Gabryjeluk
visit my blog

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

Gabrys 12 Feb 2011 20:18

users.get_me method added to the draft

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Piotr Gabryjeluk
visit my blog

Last edited on 12 Feb 2011 20:20 by Gabrys Show more

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

leiger 12 Feb 2011 20:45

users.get_me method added to the draft

Returns:

• name: URL version of user name, for example "john-smith" for "John Smith"
• title: full name of user, for example "John Smith"

Perfect! ;-)

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~ Leiger - Wikidot Community Admin - Volunteer
Wikidot: Official Documentation | Wikidot Discord server | NEW: Wikiroo, backup tool (in development)

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

leiger 22 Feb 2011 13:45

Suggestion for the proposed users.get_me method:

Currently returns:

• name: URL version of user name, for example "john-smith" for "John Smith"
• title: full name of user, for example "John Smith"

This would also be useful:

• id: ID number of user, for example "12345"

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id: Using the ID number, we can (a) construct links to PM the user, and can (b) check if a user is a member of a site (if the profile:12345 page exists or not when per-site profiles is enabled). We can also (c) grab the user's avatar using the ID number, because it is part of the link.

[[image http://www.wikidot.com/common--images/avatars/2/2462/a48.png]]

Avatar for user with ID = 2462 (i.e. you, Gabrys)

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Also: any specific timeline for when the changes you mentioned might come into effect? I'm wondering when the old methods will become inaccessible, and when old API keys will be deleted.

There is no rush from my end … don't mind if it takes a while to happen. But as an app developer that uses the API it is useful to know this :)

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~ Leiger - Wikidot Community Admin - Volunteer
Wikidot: Official Documentation | Wikidot Discord server | NEW: Wikiroo, backup tool (in development)

Last edited on 22 Feb 2011 13:47 by leiger Show more

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

Gabrys 22 Feb 2011 14:01

Suggestion for the proposed users.get_me method:

Currently returns:

* name: URL version of user name, for example "john-smith" for "John Smith"
* title: full name of user, for example "John Smith"

This would also be useful:

* id: ID number of user, for example "12345"

id: Using the ID number, we can (a) construct links to PM the user, and can (b) check if a user is a member of a site (if the profile:12345 page exists or not when per-site profiles is enabled). We can also (c) grab the user's avatar using the ID number, because it is part of the link.

This makes sense. :-)

Also: any specific timeline for when the changes you mentioned might come into effect? I'm wondering when the old methods will become inaccessible, and when old API keys will be deleted.

We're upgrading servers now, then introducing (still polishing it a bit) Dashboard, then API changes. It'll take about two weeks probably.

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Piotr Gabryjeluk
visit my blog

Last edited on 22 Feb 2011 14:02 by Gabrys Show more

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

leiger 22 Feb 2011 14:04

Okay, thanks for the updates :)

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~ Leiger - Wikidot Community Admin - Volunteer
Wikidot: Official Documentation | Wikidot Discord server | NEW: Wikiroo, backup tool (in development)

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

Gabrys 08 Mar 2011 12:26

The Dashboard is now live, so the API changes are the next thing to do. Please prepare to having to reconfigure your apps (update the keys).

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Piotr Gabryjeluk
visit my blog

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

Gabrys 11 Mar 2011 11:36

UPDATE: The operation is done. You need to go to your account to get the new keys and also enable API access on sites you want to connect to.

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Piotr Gabryjeluk
visit my blog

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

tsangk 11 Mar 2011 12:09

[…] and also enable API access on sites you want to connect to

I can't see that option.

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Kenneth Tsang (@jxeeno)

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

Gabrys 11 Mar 2011 12:12

admin:manage » API access » Enable API access to this site

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Piotr Gabryjeluk
visit my blog

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

leiger 11 Mar 2011 14:35

Hey Gabrys, is the users.get_me method fully operational now?

I haven't had a chance to check, and won't for at least a couple days.

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~ Leiger - Wikidot Community Admin - Volunteer
Wikidot: Official Documentation | Wikidot Discord server | NEW: Wikiroo, backup tool (in development)

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

Gabrys 11 Mar 2011 15:14

Works at least for me:

In [1]: from wikidot import wikidot_ro
In [2]: wikidot_ro.users.get_me({})
Out[2]: {'id': '2462', 'name': 'gabrys', 'title': 'Gabrys'}

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Piotr Gabryjeluk
visit my blog

Re: Deleting the old API methods and regenerating keys

leiger 11 Mar 2011 22:58

Awesome, thanks!

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~ Leiger - Wikidot Community Admin - Volunteer
Wikidot: Official Documentation | Wikidot Discord server | NEW: Wikiroo, backup tool (in development)