Response Details

Status codes

Possible status code includes:

• ok: correct request and response
• unknownField: the request field is not supported
• unknownFormat: the request format is not supported
• unknownId: the request identifier looks like a valid ISBN number and unknown to xISBN service
• unknownLibrary: the request library is not supported
• unknownMethod: the request method is not supported
• invalidId: the request identifier is not a valid ISBN number
• overlimit: the request is throttled, only header is returned
• invalidAffiliateId: invalid affiliate id
• invalidHash: invalid hash (subscription only)
• invalidToken: invalid access token (subscription only)

Valid conditions and metadata fields

If the request is valid, xISBN service returns a list of matched ISBNs and requested metadata fields, with a "stat=ok" indication, such as:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rsp xmlns="http://worldcat.org/xid/isbn/" stat="ok">
<isbn title="Learning Python" form="BA" year="2004" lang="eng" ed="2nd ed." author="Lutz, Mark." publisher="O'Reilly">0596002815</isbn>
</rsp>

Invalid and exception conditions

If the request is invalid or the usage has reached limits, the response will return header only, with appropriate status code. For example, a request to

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/12345678901234

returns following response:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
	<rsp xmlns="http://worldcat.org/xid/isbn/" stat="invalidId"/>
      

Metadata Fields for an ISBN

The request decides which metadata field to return:

• In responding to to10,to13, and fixChecksum method, only ISBN number is returned.
• In responding to getEditions and getMetadata method, the "fl" parameter is used to control what fields are returned, such as fl=lccn,oclcnmu, fl=*returns all fields.

A number of metadata fields can be associated with an ISBN number when responding to the getEditions or getMetadata method:

• author: Author
• city: City of Publication
• ed: Edition
• form: The ONIX production form code, this field is space-delimited if multiple values exist. Current supported values include:
  • AA (Audio)
  • BA (Book)
  • BB (Hardcover)
  • BC (Paperback)
  • DA (Digital)
  • FA (Film or transparency)
  • MA(Microform)
  • VA (Video)
• lang: The language field uses three-character MARC Code List for Languages.
• lccn: Library Of Congress Control Number, this field is space-delimited if multiple values exist.
• oclcnum: OCLC number, this field is space-delimited if multiple values exist.
• originalLang: Original Language
• publisher: Publisher
• title: Title
• url: URL link to electronic resource, this field is space-delimited if multiple values exist.
• year: Publication year

XML schema for response XML

The XML schema in xisbn.xsd validates xISBN response XML format.

CSV, TEXT, JSON, Python, Ruby, PHP, and XHTML response

Several other serialization formats are supported. Below is an example of each:

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/0596002815?method=getEditions&fl=*&format=html

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/0596002815?method=getEditions&format=json

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/0596002815?method=getEditions&fl=*&format=python

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/0596002815?method=getEditions&fl=*&format=ruby

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/0596002815?method=getEditions&fl=*&format=php

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/0596002815?method=getEditions&fl=*&format=csv (comma-delimited file)

http://xisbn.worldcat.org/webservices/xid/isbn/0596002815?method=getEditions&fl=*&format=txt (tab-delimited file)