Retrieving Items

This chapter discusses the means for retrieving the data for item listings.

An application can retrieve data from the eBay site, to be displayed in the application's particular user interface or otherwise processed by the application. Items can be retrieved in whole groups (such as a list of the items a particular seller has listed). This replicates similar functionality on the eBay site. Items can also be retrieved one at a time, which is analogous to the View Item page on the eBay site.

One reason an application returns the data for an item or group of items is to display the item data in a visual format. The application's end user could then see the data and use the information as the basis for taking some action, such as a seller revising the item or a buyer making a bid on the item.

Another reason for retrieving item data is the programmatic processing of item data outside the context of a user interface or human intervention. For example, an application could retrieve a list of the items for a particular seller for the purpose of assessing bidding activitiy, only alerting the seller should a predetermined condition exist (like the end of the auction is near and there is a current high bidder).

Applications retrieve whole lists of items for a particular seller using GetSellerList. Retrieving the data for just a single item is done with GetItem. Most often it is more economical to use GetSellerList to retrieve a list of items and operate on them than it is to use GetItem multiple times. Doing this saves on the number of API calls made by an application (which are limited on an hourly, daily, and monthly basis). It also reduces total online time spent communicating and interacting with the eBay site.

Browsing a Seller's Items

Retrieving the Data for One Item

For information on GetSellerList, including executing the call and business logic, see the chapter GetSellerList. For information on GetItem, see GetItem. Refer to the eBay Trading API Call Reference for descriptions of the call-specific input and output fields.

User-Contributed Notes