The Axiell WebAPI in detail

The client-side Axiell WebAPI is a function library that uses the ASP.NET Web API framework (and although wwwopac.ashx is still part of the call to the WebAPI, it is no longer a physical file). This API (Application Programming Interface) is normally accessible through programming languages or via the REST interface style (send a URL and receive XML). The Axiell API can be used to build your own client-side and web applications based on an Axiell Collections SQL database.

The wwwopac.ashx is loaded into memory only once, which is good for performance but does also mean that the adlibweb.xml configuration file and database info files are only loaded at application startup time. If you make modifications in your database .inf files then you will need to restart your application (for instance by recycling the application pool in which wwwopac.ashx runs.
A Collections advanced search statement (with its advanced capabilities like searching phonetically and using left, right or middle truncation) is converted by wwwopac.ashx to a single sql query. Moreover, the wwwopac.ashx interfaces directly with SQL Server using these sql queries, and executes combined searches completely on the server. Also, all dataset checks and security checks are performed server side.
The Axiell WebAPI also has advanced image handling options, including efficient scaling which is accomplished by not resizing the images to be retrieved for every request, but by reducing or enlarging the image only when first requested, and then saving the result in a cache folder so that for a following identical request a ready-made resized image can be retrieved. Click here for a concise overview of the image handling functionality in the Axiell WebAPI.
A third advantage is that you can hide the path to linked images from users who are only allowed to view records: only the name of the image could still be visible.
With this WebAPI component there’s also no chance of memory leakage or resource leakage, because every instance of wwwopac is disposed of after use.

Optional JSON output

Besides XML, the output format JSON can be returned by wwwopac.ashx and oai.ashx. Open the documentation about JSON.

FAQs

• Enhancing the WebAPI search performance As far as the configuration of your Axiell Collections databases and Axiell WebAPI is concerned, the performance and results of WebAPI searches can be enhanced by applying combined indexes for term indexed fields that often contain more than a single word (like person names or object names) and/or for almost identical linked fields, and by using search indirection in your WebAPI queries or adlibweb.xml configuration file to access those combined indexes.
• Excluding anonymous internet users from records (Word document). If you've already set up an Axiell Internet Server application or just an Axiell wwwopac server, and you are not sure how to exclude certain records from showing up in search results from your otherwise public database, you may find this FAQ useful.
• How to sort on the first occurrence of a field only When you sort the search result on a repeated field, the record usually appears as many times in the search result as the field is actually repeated in the record. If you want any retrieved record to appear only once in a search result sorted on a repeated field, you will have to make a few changes to your database and web application.
• What to do when certain records cannot be found There are different reasons why sometimes you can't find the records you are looking for, even when you know they exist. Knowing where to look for the problem and how best to solve it may save you valuable time. Click the FAQ header to learn more.