Breaking Changes to the list API (without notice!!!)

Nathan Still

It is very annoying that BB keeps moving the goalposts for their APIs. We had a lot of solutions built out with the list API and I am just getting “Gone” as a response from the API today. Also, the new API endpoint doesn't follow standard “next page” and “last page” protocols making using this API extremely painful. This would be much less annoying if it hadn't changed with seemingly no warning. Did this change catch anyone else by surprise? Happy new year from BB …

Stephen Boyle

@Nathan Still
The Legacy list endpoint was marked for deprecation at the beginning of last year and given a full 12 months before end of life. This information was included in the changelog and community at the time and permanently added to the documentation for the endpoint. The newer list endpoint was added the August before that. I am sorry this information didn't make it to you, and I would be interested in how we can improve the dissemination of notices like this. Off the bat, I can see a benefit to an “end of life” entry in the changelog, but if deprecation notices in the changelog are not making it to you that might not help any. Suggestions are welcome.

The pagination model is page-based, as the input is simply the page number desired - with each page being 1000 records. The only other pagination model standard for SKY API is the limit/offset model, but a technical limitation of advanced lists forced a hardcoded page size.

Bryna Gleich

@Nathan Still You can also subscribe to the Announcements blog in this user community. I posted about this change when it was first announced. See screenshot for location of the Subscribe button for the user community blog. You can choose how often to be notified of new blog posts for Sky Developer Announcements. (instant, daily, weekly)

Michael Panagos

@Stephen Boyle:

The pagination model is page-based, as the input is simply the page number desired - with each page being 1000 records. The only other pagination model standard for SKY API is the limit/offset model, but a technical limitation of advanced lists forced a hardcoded page size.

Actually, speaking on the School API alone, so far I've had to code support for FOUR different pagination models.

• NEXT_RECORD_NUMBER: https://developer.sky.blackbaud.com/docs/services/school/operations/v1usersget
• OFFSET: https://developer.sky.blackbaud.com/docs/services/school/operations/V1UsersEnrollmentsGet
• LAST_USER_ID: https://developer.sky.blackbaud.com/docs/services/school/operations/V1UsersBbidstatusGet & https://developer.sky.blackbaud.com/docs/services/school/operations/V1UsersExtendedGet
• NEXT_PAGE: https://developer.sky.blackbaud.com/docs/services/school/operations/V1ListsAdvancedByList_idGet