Yahoo Query Language (YQL) provides a common syntax for querying disparate APIs.
http://eatyourgreens.org.uk/archives/2009/03/opening-up-data-with-yql.html
The YQL blog has a link to several API examples, in the YQL console, that can currently be queried and it's very easy to add your own.
http://www.yqlblog.net/blog/2009/02/20/yql-environment-files/
I agree that, from the point of view of aggregating results, it's somewhat of a pain if every institution has their own XML format for publishing a catalogue record.
Jim
Jim O'Donnell
Senior Web Developer
National Maritime Museum
Park Row
Greenwich
London SE10 9NF
DDI: 020 8312 6517
Fax:
email: [log in to unmask]
>In message
><[log in to unmask]>,
>Mike Ellis <[log in to unmask]> writes
>>In other, rather more uplifting news, the Brooklyn Museum
>releases an API:
>
>"Another API" is indeed good news when there is only a handful
>of them.
>Anything from a museum context that delivers XML cheers me up, as you
>know ;-)
>
>However, "[yet] another API with its own home-grown query syntax and
>unique results format" will start to be wearisome news to integrators,
>when there are hundreds of APIs out there, and more arriving
>every week.
>
>Don't we need a standard for what a museum API looks like, and what it
>delivers? Even better, shouldn't we stop thinking that we need to
>invent everything we use, and just adopt something like the
>Linked Data
>paradigm?
>
>Richard
>
>--
>Richard Light
>
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