Ch-ch-ch-changes… introducing <links/>

by Mike G on December 8, 2008

The object URI changes we made a while back appear to be helpful.  So much so, we’ve been getting some granular requests that are object specific, and we can see some of the benefits in bringing them to you.  But first, and a FreshBooks API first, we’ve added our first deprecation to the API.

I’ve secretly hated the look/feel/sound of our current URI responses in the form of <url> and <auth_url> on invoices, estimates and clients.  While they still exist today, you may notice a new property on the <url> and <auth_url> elements, and that is ‘deprecated=“true”’.  Make use of them while you can, because in some future update, they will just vanish.  API version 3?  2.2? I promise nothing.  Consider this a 2 minute warning, of a sort.

The new format consists of a <links> parent which will contain <client_view>, replacing <url>, and <view>, replacing <auth_url>.  Your output should look something like this:

  
    https://sample.freshbooks.com/inv/514-24-d4622
    https://sample.freshbooks.com/inv/514-24-d4622-z
  

Links is part of the <invoice>, <estimate> and <client> response when you execute the appropriate .get operation successfully.

Our object specific update of the day is just for invoice.get and fits into the <links> response element.  The new link directly takes an authenticated administrator to the target invoice for editing.  It should look something like this:

  
    https://sample.freshbooks.com/inv/514-24-d4622-e
  

As always, comments and further suggestions are welcome and encouraged.