"Peter Lemken" wrote in message
...
Hank Oredson wrote:

"Peter Lemken" wrote in message

Yes, there is, Hank. API stands for "Advanced Programming Interface" and
it
describes the programming interface to a lower layer that you can use.

"Application programming interface."
"... TO THE DATABASE."

The Central Database of the arrl lotw project?

Yes.

The API is right there, it's documented, it's usable.

There is NO API TO THE DATABASE.

I am still not sure you are talking about the database I had in mind.

This should be very very simple to understand.
What you show me is a set of library calls for manipulating
LOCAL DATA and LOCAL FILES. This is not of interest.

Yes, it is, at least for log programmers. Prepare the data in an accepted
form, sign it digitally with your unique key and hold personal
responsibility for the integrity of the data. And that is done locally by a
log program. Am I still with you?

Yes.

Obviously, what you are looking for is an _application_ that performs
certain tasks to your liking. That's not what an API does, you need to
write
an application that makes use of the API.

I am not looking for an application.
I WRITE APPLICATIONS.

What kind of applications? Logbooks?

Logbook and log archive are of interest here of course.
What kind of applications do I write? Many ;-)

To do this, I NEED THE SPECIFICATION.
IF I have the specification ... see below ...

Apart from that: This is an Open Source project, so you can contribute
your
patches and express dissatisfaction with what's currently available.

There is NOTHING available.
There is NO SPECIFICATION of HOW TO ACCESS THE DATABASE.
None, zero, nichts, nada.
Were there such a specification, I would CREATE a library of
functions and gladly donate it to the project. Then there would
be an API to the DATABASE, and everyone could use it.

Please try very very hard to understand what I have written.
LotW is a CENTRALIZED DATABASE of QSO data.
I wish to access it.
From applications I will write.

What you want is restricted remote access to another machine in order to
manipulate data (QSO-records). Have I understood you correctly?

Yes. Exactly.
Realtime access to the database.
With the same security as any other access, via certificate and signing.

For eQSL, I can do these things.
There is an API, it is documented.

LotW is still in it's baby steps, perhaps like a very early prototype.

I'm gonna refer to that once you tell me whether I have understood you
correctly about the central database of the ARRL.

Yes, the one and only LotW database. Where the QSO and QSL
information is located. Online access to that database.

Right now access is via file upload (or email) to put data INTO
the database, and is via HTTP to get data OUT of the database.
I could reverse engineer that process and use it. But it seems better
to have a documented and supported API.

As I mentioned before, this API might be ONLY a protocol
specification, with NO code (libraries) involved.

What I'm talking about is different than the issue of signing the
data. That is already handled by the tQSL library. I don't like
the way the library is organized (too low level and complex),
but that is not a problem since I can put my own wrapper on
top of what exists to make reasonable functions.

Mostly I discuss these ideas because I think it is important for
LotW to do much much more than it does now. If it does not,
people will not integrate it into their applications, it will not be
used, and the project will fail. The existing prototype of LotW
does not seem to me very useful. Perhaps that will change.

There are other competing "global ham radio QSO" databases.
Eventually these databases will need to be linked for them to
be useful. It is not clear that LotW has a chance. Were the LotW
team work with others (e.g. eQSL) progress might occur faster.

I step down from my soapbox now.

Sorry for delay in this response, took a few minutes away from
the computer to work 3C0V on 15M ...


--

... Hank

Hank: http://horedson.home.att.net
W0RLI: http://w0rli.home.att.net