Wikipedia API and the Web Component

In this guide, you will learn how to use the Wikipedia API to search pages in Wikipedia for similar terms. We will use a ListView to show the selections, and then when the user has selected an item, we will redirect to another screen with that item.

🏷️ Tags: #api, #json, #tutorials-and-guides

Step 2. Blocks for Screen1.

Explanations:

• We have a variable that is a URL to a 'Page not found' image.

• We have a procedure that has an empty space, not a blank text block.

• When the search API is clicked, we perform the API get request. Since spaces are not allowed in URLs, we replace them with addition signs. We also hide the onscreen soft keyboard.

• When a request has timed out, we tell the Notifier to alert the user.

• When the Web component has got some information, we do the following.

  • If the Web component has search results, we move on. Else, we show the Page not found image.

  • We analyze the search results. The ListView will show the page title as MainText, while Snippets (the starting texts of a page) as a DetailText. Since the snippets are in HTML, and the Label supports HTML text, we set the Label's text to the snippet, then set the DetailText to the Label's text. However, beware that you need to clear the Label's text after finishing.

• When the user has selected something in the ListView, we move to Screen2 to show the result. To avoid wasting resources, we also close Screen1.