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API VERSIONS

API VERSIONS

Owned by Pedro Jose Sanchez Luling
Last updated: Nov 21, 2024
3 min read

Every version of Linkcare API is designed to be compatible with previous versions. Nevertheless, some versions of the API may include major changes that would not work with older versions, and to ensure compatibility any client Application should indicate for which API version was designed. This is what we call “working in compatibility mode”.

Working in compatibility mode

If your client application was implemented using a specific API Version, you can still work with newer version even if some functions have changed, because the API has the ability to behave as you expect. This is accomplished by indicating the version when invoking session_init ().

For example, if an Application indicates in session_init ()  that it is designed to work with API Version 2.7.3, then it will continue working properly even when the currently installed Linkcare WS API is newer. You should only be concerned about changes if you modify the version indicated in session_init ().

Note that indicating an older API version in  session_init () must be understood as working with the current version in a 'compatible mode'. The API works always with the last version and all functionalities are available, but you can continue invoking API functions as they were defined in the old version.

The functions that have ‘relevant modifications’ in each release of the API are listed in the Release Notes of each version.

We understand as a 'relevant modification' one of the following cases:

  • The prototype of the function has changed (either by adding, removing or changing the type of a parameter)

  • The XML response of the function has added, removed or changed the name of any XML node

Important notes

Version 2.8 doesn’t support compatibility mode for older versions

In API Version 2.8.1 the compatibility mode for older versions is not supported.

This means that if your client application was implemented using an API Version up to 2.7.32, you should review the calls to the functions that have suffered changes that affect the compatibility.

The majority of the functions will work normally, but ensure that you are not using deprecated functions.

Also note that the response format of all functions is the one defined for version 2.8.1, so if you’re working with a function that in the past returned a different response, you should update it.

Compatibility considerations

We use the following criteria to consider that a change is compatible or incompatible with previous version

Compatible changes

  • Added new information to the XML response returned by an API function

If you use the new API version, your implementation will continue to work normally. You will need only to change the implementation if you want to take advantage of the new information added

Incompatible changes

  • Changes in the function prototype (different parameters)

  • The XML structure returned by the function has changed in one of the following ways:

    • A node of the XML that existed in previous has been removed

    • The value of an existing node of the XML has a different meaning than in previous versions

If you intend to upgrade your application to use an API Version with incompatible changes, you must modify your implementation to adapt to the changes introduced in that version

List of changes

Version 2.8.1 (unreleased)

Version 2.7.32

Version 2.7.31

Version 2.7.30

Version 2.7.29

Version 2.7.28

Version 2.7.27

Version 2.7.26

Version 2.7.25

Version 2.7.24

Version 2.7.23

Version 2.7.22

Version 2.7.21

Version 2.7.20

Version 2.7.19

Version 2.7.18



Version 2.7.17



Version 2.7.15



Version 2.7.14

Version 2.7.13

Version 2.7.12

Version 2.7.10

Version 2.7.9

Version 2.7.8

Version 2.7.4

Version 2.7.3



Initial version











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