Is that product count correct? i.e. Would I be better off using the SF-3 format in this instance and, if so, are there other example where more products are available through using an alternative SF value to the one given in the taxonomy? http://api.shopping.com/scripts/GSIsapiExt.dll/linkin_id-8005628/TY-2
If you use '/sf-7' instead, the API will automatically determine the correct format to send back to you. However, I should still explain the difference between '/sf-3' and '/sf-6'. The SDC catalog is structured something like this:
category
-->offer
-->product
------>offer
where you may see store offers either (or both) directly below categories, or below products. Using '/sf-3' in a category which naturally uses '/sf-6' asks the API to essentially remove all products from a response, moving any offers beneath those products directly to the category level. So the count you see using '/sf-6' is the count of products, while the count you see using '/sf-3' is the count of store offers in the category.
Thanks, Ryan. We can't use SF-7 as we use different scripts to process the results so need to know in advance which script to use. Can I assume that the parameter suggested in the taxonomy is always correct? And do these ever change?
Also, will we have to worry about any of this in API 3? I'm seriously hoping it works more along the lines of "search by keyword or ID, get a result in a consistent format"!
Yes, the parameter suggested in the taxonomy is always correct. And no, you don't have to worry about any of this in API3. The number one goal of the new API was to provide a consistent interface, regardless of the inputs or category structure. We hope it makes developers lives much easier - check out the documentation section for examples...
The Music category ID: 63717 is shown in your taxonomy as having an SF value of 6:
http://api.shopping.com/scripts/GSIsapiExt.dll/linkin_id-8005628/SF-6/BEFID-63717/
This returns 186,782 products but if I use the SF-3 format I (allegedly) get 388,039 products.
http://api.shopping.com/scripts/GSIsapiExt.dll/linkin_id-8005628/SF-3/BEFID-63717/
Is that product count correct? i.e. Would I be better off using the SF-3 format in this instance and, if so, are there other example where more products are available through using an alternative SF value to the one given in the taxonomy? http://api.shopping.com/scripts/GSIsapiExt.dll/linkin_id-8005628/TY-2
Ryan – 2008-10-14T10:15:30
Hi James -
If you use '/sf-7' instead, the API will automatically determine the correct format to send back to you. However, I should still explain the difference between '/sf-3' and '/sf-6'. The SDC catalog is structured something like this:
category
-->offer
-->product
------>offer
where you may see store offers either (or both) directly below categories, or below products. Using '/sf-3' in a category which naturally uses '/sf-6' asks the API to essentially remove all products from a response, moving any offers beneath those products directly to the category level. So the count you see using '/sf-6' is the count of products, while the count you see using '/sf-3' is the count of store offers in the category.
--ryan
James Taylor – 2008-10-15T01:23:36
Thanks, Ryan. We can't use SF-7 as we use different scripts to process the results so need to know in advance which script to use. Can I assume that the parameter suggested in the taxonomy is always correct? And do these ever change?
Also, will we have to worry about any of this in API 3? I'm seriously hoping it works more along the lines of "search by keyword or ID, get a result in a consistent format"!
Ryan – 2008-10-15T11:29:00
Hi James -
Yes, the parameter suggested in the taxonomy is always correct. And no, you don't have to worry about any of this in API3. The number one goal of the new API was to provide a consistent interface, regardless of the inputs or category structure. We hope it makes developers lives much easier - check out the documentation section for examples...
--ryan