can I use the API to search for images in commons.wikimedia.org?

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Timothy Helck

29 Dec 2011 29 Dec '11

10:21 p.m.

I want to add a widget to a web page that will allow user to enter search terms and search wikimedia for images that match the terms. I have implemented a similar widget for flickr, using their API, but am having trouble doing the same with wikimedia. Basically, I would like to replicate the functionality of the commons.wikimedia.org search page. Ideally I would like to be able to get a Category listing (ex. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral) or a true search results (ex. http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ASearch&search=…)ral), but at this point I would be happy with either. I've tried using the allimages list, but that is not adequate. Is there any other way to search images using the API? I have also been looking at Freebase and DBPedia. These seem like they might do what I want, but RDF is completely new to me and I'm still trying to figure out the basics of it. If anyone can point me in the right direction for either of those resources, I would appreciate it. Regards. Tim Helck

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Roan Kattouw

30 Dec 30 Dec

1:13 p.m.

On Thu, Dec 29, 2011 at 10:21 PM, Timothy Helck <timothy.helck(a)gmail.com> wrote:

...

Basically, I would like to replicate the functionality of the commons.wikimedia.org search page. Ideally I would like to be able to get a Category listing (ex. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral) or a true search results (ex. http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ASearch&search=…)ral), but at this point I would be happy with either.

Timothy Helck

9:01 p.m.

Roan, I've looked at search, but it only seems to return names of pages, not images. Is there a way to make it return images? Tim On Fri, Dec 30, 2011 at 7:13 AM, Roan Kattouw <roan.kattouw(a)gmail.com>wrote;wrote:

...

On Thu, Dec 29, 2011 at 10:21 PM, Timothy Helck <timothy.helck(a)gmail.com> wrote:

Basically, I would like to replicate the functionality of the commons.wikimedia.org search page. Ideally I would like to be able to

get a

Category listing (ex.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral)

or a true search results (ex.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special%3ASearch&search=… ),

but at this point I would be happy with either.

The search results are exposed through the API: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/api.php?action=query&list=search&sr… . Unfortunately we don't really have image keywords or anything like that, so searching for images is not as simple as it probably should be. But it's probably been done before. Roan _______________________________________________ Mediawiki-api mailing list Mediawiki-api(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/mediawiki-api

Roan Kattouw

9:05 p.m.

On Fri, Dec 30, 2011 at 9:01 PM, Timothy Helck <timothy.helck(a)gmail.com> wrote:

...

Roan, I've looked at search, but it only seems to return names of pages, not images. Is there a way to make it return images?

The regular search doesn't return images either, does it? Roan

Gordon Joly

31 Dec 31 Dec

10:32 p.m.

New subject: can I use the API to search for images in commons.wikimedia.org?

On 30/12/2011 20:05, Roan Kattouw wrote:

...

On Fri, Dec 30, 2011 at 9:01 PM, Timothy Helck<timothy.helck(a)gmail.com> wrote:

Roan, I've looked at search, but it only seems to return names of pages, not images. Is there a way to make it return images?

The regular search doesn't return images either, does it? Roan

Google Image Search is your friend.... just curl/wget/get this.... https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/services/search/images?v=1.0&q=query_s…dia.org&........ You will need a Google API key as well.... Gordo -- Gordon Joly gordon.joly(a)pobox.com http://www.joly.org.uk/ Don't Leave Space To The Professionals!

Platonides

1 Jan 1 Jan

9:51 p.m.

On 30/12/11 21:01, Timothy Helck wrote:

...

Roan, I've looked at search, but it only seems to return names of pages, not images. Is there a way to make it return images? Tim

Files are at namespace 6, which wasn't included in the provided query: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/api.php?action=query&list=search&sr…

Timothy Helck

8 Mar 8 Mar

3:09 a.m.

Gentlemen, Thanks for your previous suggestions.Unfortunately I've been busy with other things and I am just getting back to this. I think I have found a reasonable strategy for searching images. I can use this query (siilar to what was suggested by Platonides): https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/api.php?action=query&list=search&sr… Then I can parse the result set and create another query which gets me the urls: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/api.php?action=query&titles=File:Chartr… However, I am still encountering a problem -- commons.wikimedia.org doesn't like requests that don't come from a browser. When I put these queries into php I get a 403 error. Is there a url where I can search wikimedia programatically? regards, Tim On Sun, Jan 1, 2012 at 3:51 PM, Platonides <platonides(a)gmail.com> wrote:

...

On 30/12/11 21:01, Timothy Helck wrote:

Roan, I've looked at search, but it only seems to return names of pages, not images. Is there a way to make it return images? Tim

Files are at namespace 6, which wasn't included in the provided query: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/api.php?action=query&list=search&sr… _______________________________________________ Mediawiki-api mailing list Mediawiki-api(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/mediawiki-api

Liangent

7:30 a.m.

On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 10:09 AM, Timothy Helck <timothy.helck(a)gmail.com> wrote:

...

Please see http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User-Agent_policy

...

regards, Tim On Sun, Jan 1, 2012 at 3:51 PM, Platonides <platonides(a)gmail.com> wrote:

On 30/12/11 21:01, Timothy Helck wrote:

Roan, I've looked at search, but it only seems to return names of pages, not images. Is there a way to make it return images? Tim

_______________________________________________ Mediawiki-api mailing list Mediawiki-api(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/mediawiki-api

-Liangent

Timothy Helck

2:49 p.m.

thanks! On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 1:30 AM, Liangent <liangent(a)gmail.com> wrote:

...

On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 10:09 AM, Timothy Helck <timothy.helck(a)gmail.com> wrote:

Gentlemen, Thanks for your previous suggestions.Unfortunately I've been busy with

other

things and I am just getting back to this. I think I have found a reasonable strategy for searching images. I can

use

this query (siilar to what was suggested by Platonides):

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/api.php?action=query&list=search&sr…

Then I can parse the result set and create another query which gets me

the

urls:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/api.php?action=query&titles=File:Chartr…

However, I am still encountering a problem -- commons.wikimedia.orgdoesn't like requests that don't come from a browser. When I put these queries

into

php I get a 403 error. Is there a url where I can search wikimedia programatically?

Please see http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User-Agent_policy

regards, Tim On Sun, Jan 1, 2012 at 3:51 PM, Platonides <platonides(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > On 30/12/11 21:01, Timothy Helck wrote: > > Roan, > > > > I've looked at search, but it only seems to return names of pages, not > > images. Is there a way to make it return images? > > > > Tim > > Files are at namespace 6, which wasn't included in the provided query: > >

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/api.php?action=query&list=search&sr…

_______________________________________________ Mediawiki-api mailing list Mediawiki-api(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/mediawiki-api

-Liangent _______________________________________________ Mediawiki-api mailing list Mediawiki-api(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/mediawiki-api

Platonides

9 Mar 9 Mar

12:36 a.m.

On 08/03/12 03:09, Timothy Helck wrote:

...

No need to perform two requests. The MediaWiki API generators can combine them for you: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/api.php?action=query&generator=search&a…

...

However, I am still encountering a problem -- commons.wikimedia.org <http://commons.wikimedia.org> doesn't like requests that don't come from a browser. When I put these queries into php I get a 403 error. Is there a url where I can search wikimedia programatically? regards, Tim

You need to use an User-Agent which identifies your tool.

Timothy Helck

2:10 p.m.

Platonides, Thank you, that's really interesting. Tim On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 6:36 PM, Platonides <platonides(a)gmail.com> wrote:

...

On 08/03/12 03:09, Timothy Helck wrote:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/api.php?action=query&list=search&sr…

Then I can parse the result set and create another query which gets me the urls:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/api.php?action=query&titles=File:Chartr… No need to perform two requests. The MediaWiki API generators can combine them for you: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/api.php?action=query&generator=search&a…

You need to use an User-Agent which identifies your tool. _______________________________________________ Mediawiki-api mailing list Mediawiki-api(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/mediawiki-api

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participants (5)

Gordon Joly
Liangent
Platonides
Roan Kattouw
Timothy Helck