Folks,
Now that I got version 3.1 of the database out today, I'm going to begin development work on the next release of the Web service which will significantly add features and functionality to your ability to leverage data within your applications.
Some new features as part of the new release will include:
1. A single unified set of URLs for data integration. There will be two data integration components:
- XML REST based Web service integration
- Javascript remote data display
- Will be hosted at
http://api.radioreference.com/xml and
http://api.radioreference.com/js
2. The new Javascript interface will allow Web developers to remotely display data on their Web pages by calling Javascript functions. This will allow other Web developers to dynamically display frequency, talkgroup, FCC, and other information on their pages dynamically. This should help drive further adoption of the database as a platform for storage of frequency and system data, and allow web developers to develop their own themes and methods for organization as it suites their users.
3. The XML REST Based Web service will support the current set of features that are already available, and the following new ones:
- FCC Callsign, Tower, Location, and unique system details
- FCC Database Searches (by state and frequency and Metro area and frequency)
- Identified database searches (by state, county, metro, and database wide)
- User account details for authenticated user (expiration date, payment information, etc)
- Location Attribute information (lat, lon, range for frequency subcats, system sites, and talkgroup categories)
- Support for all the new attributes
- GIS Information - County, State, Zipcode, etc
I'll also publish some guidelines soon on how the Web service should be used, etc... to prevent some pitfalls in use of the data.
Applications of the new Web service will be required to submit a key tied to their client version or Web site, along with the specification version requested (I'll maintain some backwards compatibility I believe), then the request parameters. Authentication, when required, will still be done over http headers as in previous versions.
