User blog:Martirsadota/A Guide on Helping Out the Wiki Using API Data

=Intro=

Every event, the admins of Kancolle Wiki scramble in order to put up timely, accurate intel that will enable us overcome whatever salt Tanaka (and the rest of the Kadokawa dev team) throws our way. Admittedly, it was not an easy task, even for them. This is where the "community" aspect of a Wiki comes in; they enlist the help of us to share whatever intel we have in order to enrich the community's pool of intel. Everybody benefits from this process.

However, the admins still face the task of making sure that everything is verifiable and accurate. To this end, many admins prefer firsthand information in the form of screenshots and raw API data, which they can easily counter-check with their own observations and other peoples' reports.

This guide covers the basics of obtaining the latter form of data, API data, as well as a short discussion about the information it contains.

What's API data?
API data is raw data coming from the Kancolle servers to your browser. It's a gold mine of information, and reading it gives us the exact same info as what is displayed on your Kancolle client: how much damage a ship girl / abyssal would receive, which abyssals appear in which node, which node will the fairies send you next, etc. It's the exact same data your viewer (KC3Kai or KCV, take your pick) reads to display the info it shows you.

Why API data?
API data is preferred mainly for two reasons:


 * 1) API data comes direct from the source. It's data straight from the Kancolle servers themselves; hence it's reliable, first-hand information.
 * 2) API data tells stuff screenshots can't. Some enemies look identical at first glance, but in reality are completely different ships. Standard Carrier Wo-Class is a prime example of this; the Kai Flagship forms can be a major pain to document as they look identical on screenshots. API data resolves this ambiguity.

=Obtaining API Data=

(placeholder, will write more soon)