NationStates API (nationdata/regiondata)

[[violet]]

I'm not seeing any errors in the logs. What's the URL of the page that generates that error?

[[violet]]

I just noticed that none of the code examples on the prev. page set the UserAgent. If possible, could the authors add this?

[Glen-Rhodes]

I just noticed that none of the code examples on the prev. page set the UserAgent. If possible, could the authors add this?

The easiest way to do this in PHP is to use ini_set('user_agent', 'custom user agent'), but not all users will have access to that. The only other way is to use cURL, which is slightly more bulky than simple fetching. Here's that:

Code: Select all

<?php
   $file = 'http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/api.cgi?nation=testlandia';
   $ch = curl_init();
   curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $file);
   curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_USERAGENT, $user_agent); //$user_agent would contain your agent.
   $fetched_xml = curl_exec($ch); //xml stored in the variable $fetched_xml
   curl_close($ch);

   $xml = simplexml_load_string($fetched_xml);
   
   // Type-casting to convert object to string, so that it can be stored. May not be necessary here, but it's always better safe than sorry.
   $population = (string) $xml->POPULATION;
   $civil_rights = (string) $xml->FREEDOMSCORES->CIVILRIGHTS;

   echo 'Population: ' . $population . '<br />Civil Rights: ' . $civil_rights;
   // Outputs:
   //   Population: 18245
   //   Civil Rights: 74
?>

Code: Select all

<?php
   function get_data($nation, $shards = FALSE) {
      if($shards != FALSE) {
         $file = 'http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/api.cgi?nation=' . $nation . '&q=' . $shards;
      }
      else {
         $file = 'http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/api.cgi?nation=' . $nation;
      }
     
      $ch = curl_init();
      curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $file);
      curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_USERAGENT, $user_agent); //$user_agent would contain your agent.
      $fetched_xml = curl_exec($ch); //xml stored in the variable $fetched_xml
      curl_close($ch);

      $xml = simplexml_load_string($fetched_xml);
      return $xml;
   }
   
   function display_pop_civilrights($nation) {
      $data = get_data($nation, 'name+population+freedomscores');
     
      $name = (string) $data->NAME;
      $population = (string) $data->POPULATION;
      $civil_rights = (string) $data->FREEDOMSCORES->CIVILRIGHTS;

      echo '<p><b>' . $name . '</b><br />Population: ' . $population . '<br />Civil Rights: ' . $civil_rights . '</p>';
   }
   
   display_pop_civilrights('testlandia');
   display_pop_civilrights('glen-rhodes');
   
   
   // Outputs:
   //   (bold) Testlandia
   //     Population: 18245
   //     Civil Rights: 74
   //   (bold) Glen-Rhodes
   //     Population: 7738
   //     Civil Rights: 77
?>

If you can't use ini_set() or don't have cURL, I don't know how else you can set your user agent.

(P.s. I'll get around to setting all of my scripts' user-agents tomorrow!)

[Ballotonia]

I've noticed that in the regional shard "messages" the RMB messages are given including the BBCode tags. In the regional Daily Data Dump, the WFE's are inside a CDATA tag without BBCode markups.

Can we please get the BBCode markups in the Daily Data Dump? Would make restoring prior WFE's much easier.

Ballotonia

[Glen-Rhodes]

Some questions about the World Assembly API.

• According to my count, there are only 579 delegates voting on the current GA resolution. Does the numdelegates shard represent the number of delegates voting in the World Assembly as a whole, even though the 'council' attribute is in the XML?
• There are no new-line markers in the resolution text. Would it be possible to add those?

[[violet]]

Does the numdelegates shard represent the number of delegates voting in the World Assembly as a whole, even though the 'council' attribute is in the XML?

Correct. There's a note to this effect in the API doc:

In the case of shards that return data for the overall World Assembly (e.g. numnations), it doesn't matter which ID you use: either ID will return the same result.

The only WA shards that specifically refer to the current at-vote resolution at the moment are 'resolution' and 'dellog'.

There are no new-line markers in the resolution text.

There are, actually, but you may not realize this if you're viewing it in Firefox's XML viewer or similar.

[[violet]]

Can we please get the BBCode markups in the Daily Data Dump?

These were stripped out in 2004 due to problems with bad BBCode corrupting the XML format... but I think we can work around that by simply encoding square brackets.

Edit: done.

[Glen-Rhodes]

The only WA shards that specifically refer to the current at-vote resolution at the moment are 'resolution' and 'dellog'.

I thought so. I can get the number specific to the council using the dellog shard. But might I trouble you to change the formatting? Something like this:

Code: Select all

<DELLOG>
   <ENTRY>
      <TIMESTAMP>1327467682</TIMESTAMP>
      <NATION>euphysius</NATION>
      <ACTION>FOR</ACTION>
      <VOTES>3</VOTES>
   </ENTRY>
</DELLOG>

That way, it's easier to associate each timestamp, action and vote with their respective nations. Doesn't have to be that way. I'm just looking for a format that groups all that information together.

There are no new-line markers in the resolution text.

There are, actually, but you may not realize this if you're viewing it in Firefox's XML viewer or similar.

Yup, that would be it. I can definitely see the new lines when I view the XML source.

[[violet]]

I can get the number specific to the council using the dellog shard. But might I trouble you to change the formatting?

Oh! Sorry, I didn't notice they were all mooshed together like that. Will fix.

[[violet]]

<DELLOG> is now formatted correctly.

Also, you no longer get the <VOTE_TRACK_*> data unless you specifically request it with the 'votetrack' shard.

Also, you can now fetch data on delegate votes with the 'delvotes' shard. This includes timestamp data, i.e. exactly when each Delegate voted, which I hope you will find handy. We've only just begun recording that, though, so the older timestamps are wrong (either "1" or a number similar to their # of votes).

Updated the API doc to reflect this.

[Glen-Rhodes]

Thanks for that! For the dellog shard, is it displaying the delegates' vote value at the time of voting, or is it displaying whatever it is at the moment?

I'm trying to figure out the best way to count delegate voting power. It looks like delvotes might be the better shard, since it doesn't display a record of actions*, but that doesn't include the delegate's voting position.

* The dellog shard is awkward to use for this, since you have to exclude withdrawn votes, and compare the number of votes, if indeed it only shows the number of votes at the time of voting. (You'd do that, in case they got more votes in subsequent 'actions'.)

[[violet]]

I'm trying to figure out the best way to count delegate voting power. It looks like delvotes might be the better shard, since it doesn't display a record of actions*, but that doesn't include the delegate's voting position.

Well, it does; some of them are listed under <DELVOTES_FOR> and others under <DELVOTES_AGAINST>. I did consider doing it the other way, with the whole lot under <DELVOTES> and each individual delegate having <VOTE>FOR</VOTE> or <VOTE>AGAINST</VOTE>, and still could if that makes more sense.

I would not expect you to use 'dellog' to calculate voting power.

[Glen-Rhodes]

Hm. I must have not noticed that they were separated like that. This makes things much easier!

Thanks for doing all of this so quickly, by the way.

[Coffee and Crack]

Quick thing with the regional happenings API..

Would it be possible for CTE to have <TEXT>@@paradalis@@ ceased to exist.</TEXT> instead of <TEXT>The Republic of Paradalis ceased to exist.</TEXT>

Right now I have to parse against the last index of "of" which isn't the most reliable way to go about it.

[Coffee and Crack]

Also with the happenings API, I was able to put together a quick chart detailing recruitment performance (founded nations moving to a new location, puppets included.. started tracking February 5th, 2pmish EST). I've been able to mine a nice treasure trove of data to continue with my earlier plans.

http://regioninc.com/metrics/created.php

Just another thanks for making the API available.

[Improving Wordiness]

10K ranks as highest for the moment. We do not use automated script to recruit and I wonder if that is a reflection of that or if it is simply too soon to tell.
My guess is that in another six months those numbers may be quite difference. I expect a more even spread.

[Glen-Rhodes]

If that script is just checking for entrances, then it's using a flawed metric for recruitment. I imagine 10KI's defender army routinely leaves and enters the region, for example. (That's been my experience with defending, at least.) Can't tell you certainly, as C&C doesn't have the source code up.

If I were to evaluate the performance of recruitment for my region, I would keep track of who is sent a message and when they enter the region. The API can be used for that second one. Then at regular intervals, I would conduct a survey using a randomly selected group from those nations, asking them if how heavily the message affected their migration.

[Coffee and Crack]

Semi-flawed. There's no way to check for puppets, but I only track nations that I have flagged as being founded and where they go after leaving the pacifics. Nations that have already been created, enter and leave are not tracked.

As for tracking people that have been sent a message, that doesn't apply into a global sense. I have other internal metrics to handle arrived/recruited/departed nations for the region that I need to put into an actionable format (needs to quit job for moar NS).

[Glen-Rhodes]

Tracking recruitment would be difficult if you're trying to create a global index yourself, yeah. But it would probably be much more accurate, and even more accurate if surveys are conducted. Not impossible, but certainly not automatic. :[

[Shizensky]

This is gravedigging a little, but I was wondering how hard it would be to add a <TAGS></TAGS> shard to the API? It could be fun to organize regions by type, like Silly, Defender, Invader, etc.

Thanks for your time.

[Fischistan]

And also, is there any reason that all the nodes are in CAPS?

[[violet]]

This is gravedigging a little, but I was wondering how hard it would be to add a <TAGS></TAGS> shard to the API?

Not hard at all!

http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/api ... lms&q=tags

And also, is there any reason that all the nodes are in CAPS?

Nope. They just are.

[Zemnaya Svoboda]

This is gravedigging a little, but I was wondering how hard it would be to add a <TAGS></TAGS> shard to the API?

Not hard at all!

http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/api ... lms&q=tags

And also, is there any reason that all the nodes are in CAPS?

Nope. They just are.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

[Shizensky]

This is gravedigging a little, but I was wondering how hard it would be to add a <TAGS></TAGS> shard to the API?

Not hard at all!

http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/api ... lms&q=tags

Thank you!

[The Blaatschapen]

This is gravedigging a little, but I was wondering how hard it would be to add a <TAGS></TAGS> shard to the API?

Not hard at all!

http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/api ... lms&q=tags

Is it also possible to have it the other way around? Ie. An API that shows which regions have @@TAG@@ ?

Either way, I see now a possibility to do some multiple tag searches on a daily db dump(it is/will be included in the dump right?) to do some multiple TAG searches (eg. combining Democratic and Founderless). *goes off to sleep and sees some nice coding ahead*