A simple application written in Python that allows specific recalls to be accessed from the Canadian Government Recall API and saved to a local mySQL database. I created this as part of the Programming Language Research course I took in College where students are tasked with picking a language new to them, and through research and test plans, create a working application to present.
API request formatting and response information can be found on this Official Recalls and Safety Alerts post, however as of writing this in May 2024, the post was last updated in 2015. It details 3 main requests the API handle: Recent recalls, Recall details, and Search. The latter request, search, states the API has "limited search functionality". In my extensive testing, the API has no text string Search functionality at all.
Both Recent Recalls and Recall Details GET requests return responses, though not without minor issues. For example, entering the recall ID 178 will get the CAMPRO MOTORHOME recall details, but it's recall ID returned is RA-1976133. Entering the recall RA-1976133 does not get any response. I am still awaiting a response from the HealthyCanadians help team to better understand this API, but despite its age and issues, it still offers some value at the very least for learning.
A simple mySQL database is needed to save specific recalls. Connection details can be found in the def init(self) method and changed accordingly to fit your own installation if needed.
The basic query used to store recall data from the application is:
CREATE TABLE saved_recalls` (
recall_id VARCHAR(20) NOT NULL,
title VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
start_date BIGINT NOT NULL,
date_published BIGINT NOT NULL,
category VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
url VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (recall_id) )
ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4;`
Home Tab:
Saved Tab:
Saved Tab specific recall:
- Python (Language)
- PyQT5 (Python GUI library)
- MySQL (Database)
- Postman (verifying GET responses)