/updates — how do you know which series an update is affecting?

[emily-helwig]

Results don't include series IDs when an episode is updated — users are unsure which series are the updates affecting, and how to query for the respective series id for each record in the /updates endpoint

[SirSparkles]

For /Update can I ask that there is an additional couple of fields added: seriesId and/or MovieId.

When receiving a new episode or artwork, it's not possible to know which series we need to update in the local cache of TVDB data. If we know from the /updates message that 'new episode 12345 is created' we don't whether that is relevant without also making a call to get details of 12345. However if we knew the series that it relates to then we could understand if this new episode is relevant to our user.

[samphomsopha]

@SirSparkles this is a good idea, we'll add this is the next couple of releases and we'll update this ticket.

[antheaezzell]

https://mediamorph.atlassian.net/browse/TVD-2223

[szsori]

@SirSparkles After reviewing this, I think we handle this sufficiently in other ways. For example, we include the seriesID on each episode record. We also trigger a series save when episodes are saved on the site, so if you're monitoring series updates as well, then you shouldn't have to rely on a rollup from the episode level.

If I'm misunderstanding or you think my explanation isn't sufficient, please let us know.

[SirSparkles]

@szsori - Based on your explanation, am I correct in thinking that: if an episode details are updates (or a new episode is added to a series) then the series is also marked as updated. (by 'marked as updated' I mean that both the lastUpdated field is updated and the series gets returned in the /updates query)

Is that correct?

If so then:

• I should be seeing 'pairs' of records in the /updates response - i.e. the episode marked as updated as well as the corresponding series?
• I should never be able to find an episode with a later 'lastUpdated' than its corresponding series?

[szsori]

@SirSparkles Correct. You should see a series update record whenever you see an episode update record. And yes, that should be true of lastUpdated on the episode compared to the series, but there are some odd instances where an unmodified episode might get an update date without triggering the series. That can happen within our moderator bulk tools.

[santah]

@szsori

so if you're monitoring series updates as well, then you shouldn't have to rely on a rollup from the episode level.

Apologies, but how can we monitor series updates? Is there another endpoint to monitor updates on the series level?

I also believe series ID needs to be included in the /updates endpoint (as it was in the previous API) as not to have to make an additional call for each and every result returned from it (to just fetch the series ID from the episode ID).

[santah]

@samphomsopha @szsori

Anyone?

We're nearing the date (less then a month now) when the old API will stop working and there is still no way to get the updated series through the v4 API?

[antheaezzell]

I should have an answer for you on this in the morning @santah it was a long weekend here. We won't be deprecating the legacy APIs without first addressing substantive feedback like this on the new API.

Internal ticket - https://mediamorph.atlassian.net/browse/TVD-2453

[santah]

@antheaezzell

Thank you!

[antheaezzell]

@santah the Series id was added to updates endpoint for episodes( entityType = episodes). The documentation was also updated. Let us know if you need anything else.

[antheaezzell]

Closing this issue for now, let us know if you see this issue reappear.