The Internet Acronym Server

This is not Google. If you want to search the web, try

Got a new acronym to tell us about? Use our form.

XML API

An API is now available on test for making the collection of acronyms accessible as a web service.

The URI for this is http://acronyms.silmaril.ie/cgi-bin/uncgi/xaa and the search term must be appended following a question mark, eg

This returns an XML response in the following format:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<?xml-stylesheet href="/xaa.css" type="text/css"?>
<acronym api="xaa" date="2009-03-21T17:10:00-0700">
  <sought ip="89.101.70.140">api</sought>
  <found n="5">
    <acro nym="API" dewey="040" 
          added="Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 IST 1992">
      <expan>American Petroleum Institute</expan>
      <comment></comment>
    </acro>
    <acro nym="API" dewey="387" added="2006-02-01">
      <expan>Apiay airport (code)</expan>
      <comment>Colombia</comment>
    </acro>
    <acro nym="API" dewey="040" 
          added="Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 IST 1992">
      <expan>Application Programming Interface</expan>
      <comment></comment>
    </acro>
    <acro nym="API" dewey="040" 
          added="Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 IST 1992">
      <expan>Applied Precision, Inc.</expan>
      <comment></comment>
    </acro>
    <acro nym="API" dewey="530" 
          added="Mon Jul 22 14:24:35 IST 2002">
      <expan>Atmospheric Pressure Ionization</expan>
      <comment></comment>
    </acro>
  </found>
</acronym>
    

This can be displayed in your browser to test the interface: the CSS reference is just for pretty formatting in the browser.

The XML response is returned with the Content-Type: text/xml as the expectation is that the response will be used in application programming such as mashups, AJAX, Cocoon, etc.

If you expect heavy usage from your users please let us know by email, as this is a pro bono service and bandwidth is limited.