[Developers] minor change in search api behavior (empty result set will no longer be an error)

[Shug Boabby]

+1

2008/7/18 Andi Vajda <vajda at metaweb.com>:
>
> On Thu, 17 Jul 2008, David Flanagan wrote:
>
>> I've always been told that the correct way to test for success with
>> Metaweb services is not to test for a code equal to /api/status/ok, but
>> to check for a code that begins with "/api/status/ok".
>>
>> It occurs to me that this is a case where it might be useful to return a
>> code /api/status/ok/empty.  It still indicates success, but allows it to
>> be special-cased, when desired.
>
> +1 !
>
> Andi..
>
>>
>> (And those of us who write documentation saying "you have to do a prefix
>> match on the code" can give an example that proves the point!)
>>
>>       David
>>
>> brendan wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> This change is no likely to affect any apps/scripts out there, but here
>>> goes:
>>>
>>> Currently, if you make a search request and the service finds nothing,
>>> it comes back as an error.  e.g.:
>>>
>>> http://freebase.com/api/service/search?prefix=insx&type=/music/artist&type_strict=all
>>> <http://freebase.com/api/service/search?prefix=insx&type=/music/artist&type_strict=all>
>>>
>>> {
>>> "status": "200 OK",
>>> "code": "/api/status/error",
>>> "messages": [
>>>  {
>>>    "message": "No search results found",
>>>    "code": "/api/status/error/search/empty"
>>>  }
>>> ],
>>> "result": []
>>> }
>>>
>>> In the coming weeks this will change.  The expected response for an
>>> empty result will be:
>>>
>>> {
>>>   "status": "200 OK",
>>>   "code": "/api/status/ok",
>>>   "messages": [
>>>     {
>>>       "message": "No search results found"
>>>     }
>>>   ],
>>>   "result": []
>>> }
>>>
>>> This response just seems more sensible, particularly given that the
>>> service allows the user to request a very constrained result (strict=all
>>> means results must match the given type parameter value)
>>>
>>> If your code has error handling for this "no results" case, you might
>>> want to make sure this change won't break things.
>>>
>>> Let me know if you have any questions/concerns.
>>>
>>> Brendan
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
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>>
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