Alternative Request Formats

OpenURL

The OpenURL Framework defines an architecture for creating context-sensitive services. The OpenURL Endpoint URL is:

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/openurl/

In OpenURL request, the rft_id is a complete ISBN URI, such as URN:ISBN:0596002815; and svc_id is "http://worldcat.org/xid/isbn/"+method+"_"+format. For example (Note: svc_id intentionally not URL-encoded for readability) :

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/openurl?rft_id=URN:ISBN:0596002815&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&svc_id=http://worldcat.org/xid/isbn/to13_xml

unAPI

unAPI is a tiny HTTP API for the few basic operations necessary to copy discrete, identified content from any kind of web application. The unAPI Endpoint URL is :

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/unapi/

In unAPI request, the id is a complete ISBN URI, such as URN:ISBN:0596002815; and format argument is method+"_"+format. For example:

To get an XML response for ISBN number 0596002815:

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/unapi?id=URN:ISBN:0596002815&format=getEditions_xml

To get a JSON response for ISBN number 0596002815:

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/unapi?id=URN:ISBN:0596002815&format=getEditions_json

short URL

It's also possible to request xISBN service by more REST-ful style in a few cases:

• the getEditions request:

  http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/0596002815/editions.xml
  

• the getMetadata request in JSON format:

  http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/0596002815/metadata.js
  

• the to13 request in ruby format:

  http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/0596002815/to13.rb
  

• the getEditions request:

  http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/0596002815