Common Knowledge

"Common Knowledge" is a feature on many LibraryThing pages, allowing members to add metadata to the system, divided by language. Technologically, it is a fielded wiki.

Characters

Filename: ckinfo_characters.xml

Sample Feed: ckinfo_characters_small.xml

Contents and Purpose

This is a feed of character information for works.

The format of the characters feed is identical to that of the "Award" feed.

Example

<commonknowledge>
	<item>
		<key>3-6832160-eng</key>
		<language>English</language>
		<type>characters</type>
		<text>"Bird Eye" Bob</text>
		<status>0</status>
		<worklist>
			<work order="0001">
				<workcode>5645151</workcode>
				<text>"Bird Eye" Bob</text>
				<displaytext>"Bird Eye" Bob</displaytext>
				<order>0001</order>
			</work>
		</worklist>
	</item>
</commonknowledge>

Places

Filename: ckinfo_places.xml

Sample Feed: ckinfo_places_small.xml

Contents and Purpose

This is a feed of place information for works.

The format of the places feed is identical to that of the "Award" feed, except that places never have descriptions.

Example

<commonknowledge>
	<item>
		<key>2-16962475-eng</key>
		<language>English</language>
		<type>places</type>
		<text>Avonlea</text>
		<status>0</status>
		<worklist>
			<work order="0001">
				<workcode>8182</workcode>
				<text>Avonlea</text>
				<displaytext>Avonlea</displaytext>
				<order>0001</order>
			</work>
			...
		</worklist>
	</item>
</commonknowledge>

Quotes

Filename: worktoquotes.xml

Sample Feed: worktoquotes_small.xml

Contents and Purpose

Contains all quotes from works entered by users/members. Each <work> contains one or more <quote> tags.

Quotes are of three types—first words, last words or "words from somewhere in the middle." All three types may repeat—even first and last words—as members will sometimes provide first words from both the introduction and the main text, etc.

Example

<worktoquotes>
	<work workcode="39">
		<quote>
			<type>firstwords</type>
			<langcode>eng</langcode>
			<language>English</language>
			<text>
				<![CDATA[
				There was once a Velveteen Rabbit, and in the beginning 
				he was really splendid.
				]]>
			</text>
		</quote>
		<quote>
			<type>quotation</type>
			<langcode>eng</langcode>
			<language>English</language>
			<text>
				<![CDATA[
				When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just 
				to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.
				]]>
			</text>
		</quote>
		<quote>
			<type>lastwords</type>
			<langcode>eng</langcode>
			<language>English</language>
			<text>
				<![CDATA[
				But he never knew that it really was his own Bunny, 
				come back to look at the child who had first helped him 
				to be Real.
				]]>
			</text>
		</quote>
	</work>
</worktoquotes>

Elements and Attributes

<worktoquotes> is the top-level element.
  • <work> (repeated) is the work in question. It has the required element:
    • workcode="N" attr (required) is the work id, or workcode.
    • <quote> (repeated) a container for the quote.
      • <type> (required) is firstwords, lastwords or quotation (i.e., from anywhere in the middle).
      • <languagecode> is the language of the quote (see "Language abbreviations" in the Introduction).
      • <language> is the language, in its English name. Why not?
      • <text> is the text of the quotation.