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JavaScript AJAX Basics (retiring) AJAX and APIs Review the Flickr API

Robert Gage-Smith
Robert Gage-Smith
13,977 Points
Posted by Robert Gage-Smith
Robert Gage-Smith
13,977 Points

Finish this code to retrieve a JSON formatted version of the Flickr Public Photo Feed:

Hi!, I'm stuck with this single question. I'm adding '?jsoncallback=?' after .gne, exactly as in the vid tutorial but I keep getting a "bummer|" message.. What am I missing?? Thanks!

curtis allen
curtis allen
28,800 Points

I think this is what you need.

https://api.flickr.com/services/feeds/photos_public.gne?format=json

8 Answers

Iain Simmons
Iain Simmons
Treehouse Moderator 32,305 Points

curtis is correct, you need the format parameter. The jsoncallback parameter is for getting a JSON-P response back from the API, which is similar to JSON but expects a callback function to be run on the response.

Robert Gage-Smith
Robert Gage-Smith
13,977 Points
Robert Gage-Smith
Robert Gage-Smith
13,977 Points

Ah, thanks, that clears that up.

Iain Simmons
Iain Simmons
Treehouse Moderator 32,305 Points

Robert Gage-Smith, if you could select a best answer to close off this question, that'd be great!

Ishan Vyas
Ishan Vyas
30,284 Points
Ishan Vyas
Ishan Vyas
30,284 Points

"?format=json" is correct

Iain Simmons
MOD
Iain Simmons
Treehouse Moderator 32,305 Points
Iain Simmons
Iain Simmons
Treehouse Moderator 32,305 Points

The Flickr API can return its response in a number of different formats, so you need to specify the format parameter (sent as a query string variable in the URL) with a value of json to get the response back in JSON format, as specified in the quiz question.

The jsoncallback parameter is used for JSON-P responses, and the value would be the name of a function (that you would have to define beforehand) that would be 'wrapped' around the response so that it will run it with the response data.

For example, if you had a function called logMe that just logged the passed in data to the console, like so:

function logMe(data) {
  console.log(data);
}

Then you could send a request to the follow URL: https://www.flickr.com/services/rest/?method=flickr.test.echo&format=json&api_key=fd67e1080666203b0ae2912246ca7a48&jsoncallback=logMe

And you would get a response similar to the following:

logMe (
  {
    "method": {
      "_content": "flickr.test.echo"
    },
    "format": {
      "_content": "json"
    },
    "api_key": {
      "_content": "fd67e1080666203b0ae2912246ca7a48"
    },
    "jsoncallback": {
      "_content": "logMe"
    },
    "stat": "ok"
  }
)

Which would log the response object (between the first and last curly braces) to the (browser) console like so:

▼ Object {method: Object, format: Object, api_key: Object, jsoncallback: Object, stat: "ok"}
  ▼ api_key: Object
    _content: "fd67e1080666203b0ae2912246ca7a48"
    ►__proto__: Object
  ▼ format: Object
    _content: "json"
    ►__proto__: Object
  ▼ jsoncallback: Object
    _content: "logMe"
    ►__proto__: Object
  ▼ method: Object
    _content: "flickr.test.echo"
    ►__proto__: Object
  stat: "ok"
  ►__proto__: Object
Kazim Noori
Kazim Noori
12,911 Points
Kazim Noori
Kazim Noori
12,911 Points

Hello there,

You just need to put in the blank the below info:

?format=json

Thanks, Kazim Noori

Matt Bloomer
Matt Bloomer
10,608 Points
Matt Bloomer
Matt Bloomer
10,608 Points

I do not understand your answer; can you please explain it a little more?

Iain Simmons
Iain Simmons
Treehouse Moderator 32,305 Points

There's a good chance the Flickr API has been updated since this question and answer were posted. If you find the new API syntax for receiving a JSON response (it might be the default now), then please share it here!