Has anyone had any luck getting approved by the API developer forum? I’ve been in moderator-approval-limbo for the last week and I’m curious what other people are putting together.

 

Sam Ennis

 

From: ctpp-news-bounces@chrispy.net [mailto:ctpp-news-bounces@chrispy.net] On Behalf Of Andrew Rohne
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 2:38 PM
To: ctpp-news@chrispy.net
Subject: Re: [CTPP] API Request Table Codes

 

In looking at http://www2.census.gov/acs2009_5yr/summaryfile/ACS_2005-2009_SF_Tech_Doc.pdf pg 40, it shows B02001 is race.  Unlike the SF1/SF3 documentation, it only lists that and not the specific tables.  In comparing it with AFF2,  B02002_001E is table 1 estimate (the total population).  If you put 'M' instead of E, data is returned, that's the MOE. 

 

For example, try http://thedataweb.rm.census.gov/data/2010/acs5?key={YOUR_KEY_HERE}&get=B02001_001E,B02001_001M,B02001_002E,B02001_002M,NAME&for=state:06,36

 

You should get a response of

 

[["B02001_001E","B02001_001M","B02001_002E","B02001_002M","NAME","state"],

["36637290","0","22392713","29506","California","06"],

["19229752","0","12764402","12714","New York","36"]]

 

If you look at the ACS 2006-2010 estimates through Factfinder2, you will see that B02001_001E is the total population (and no MOE is published for those), and B02001_002E and B02001_002M matches the data for the white population and the MOE for those (see below if you don't want to mess with AFF2).

 

The API appears to be unfinished.  I can't seem to get any household data (not even total households) pulled from SF1, SF3 returns an error (and we don't know if that will ever be supported by the API), and there appears to be a limit of pulling 5 fields at a time (hopefully they release that to allow us to pull at least 12 or 15).  Also, I applied to join the developer's forum and haven't heard anything back.  I was able to get a key to try some tests, though.  Hopefully we'll hear and see more in the next few weeks, as this looks pretty promising.

 

Andrew Rohne

OKI Regional Council

 

PS: If you'd rather pull tables with Python as opposed to through URL lines, take a look at https://gist.github.com/3122936 .  If you're on Windows and don't have Cairoplot and GTK installed, you may want to remove the import for cairoplot and the very last line and code around the rest.  It is simple, but I'd expect people to take it and change it to suit their own needs.

 

From: ctpp-news-bounces@chrispy.net [mailto:ctpp-news-bounces@chrispy.net] On Behalf Of mkaminowitz@baltometro.org
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 1:39 PM
To: ctpp-news@chrispy.net
Subject: Re: [CTPP] API Request Table Codes

 

B02001 is Race, which includes population. 001E looks suspiciously like the sort of table designator you find in the downloaded summary file version of the ACS 5 year data. B02001_001 is the total population there, but I have no idea what the E is for.

 

Mara Kaminowitz, GISP
GIS Analyst
.........................................................................
Baltimore Metropolitan Council
Offices at McHenry Row
1500 Whetstone Way
Suite 300
Baltimore, MD  21230
410-732-0500 ext. 1030
mkaminowitz@baltometro.org
www.baltometro.org

 

From: Ennis, Samuel [mailto:sennis@cambridgema.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 12:47 PM
To: ctpp-news@ryoko.chrispy.net
Subject: [CTPP] API Request Table Codes

 

I’ve noticed that the table codes used in the API requests don’t seem to match the table codes used in the table master lists or in American Fact Finder. For example the ACS 5-year table number for “Total Population” is B01003, but in the examples of API requests here the table number used to fetch population statistics for California and New York is B02001_001E, which the master list would have me believe is the table code for race (plus the “_001E” which I’m mystified by).

 

Is there a separate list of table IDs that the API recognizes / am I using the wrong lists?

 

Sam Ennis