---
title: "What’s wrong with this topic answer key"
date: 2026-10-08
description: "Download PDF This is the answer key for Activity: What’s wrong with this API reference topic. After you’ve finished commenting on the Google Doc, go..."
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/whats_wrong_answer_key
---

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# What’s wrong with this topic answer key

[Download PDF](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/learnapidoc/e/146076)

This is the answer key for [Activity: What’s wrong with this API reference topic](https://idratherbewriting.com/learnapidoc/docapis_api_whats_wrong_activity.html).

After you’ve finished commenting on the Google Doc, go to this [annotated Google doc](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ogj99YHhFMkXb-HMMMko-G9Hq9Rg6cztdT06-oUZm4E/edit).

![Annotated Google doc showing answers](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/api/annotatedgoogledoc.png)

Alternatively, expand the answers below to see how many issues you found. If you found additional issues beyond those noted here, feel free to [drop me an email](https://idratherbewriting.com/contact/) letting me know. You can also add your own comments on the Google Doc answer key.

Answer key:

**Resource description:**

- wordy. should be more concise and action-oriented
- Surfreport probably shouldn’t capitalized

**Endpoints and definition:**

- GET/POST should just be GET
- no need for colon in `{:beachId}`
- consider color coding {beachId}

**Parameters:**

- Query string parameters are mixed into same table as Path parameters. Separate into different tables.
- Where you get the beach ID isn’t specified
- Number versus Integer is potentially inconsistent. Technically, a number refers to a float or double (which would allow for decimals), while an integer refers to a whole number. In this case, I doubt the beach IDs have decimals.
- No default specified for `time` parameter
- With `time` data types, why do some data types have examples but not all?

**Sample request:**

- not in curl format
- only one query string parameter shown; should include `time` too
- `zip` query string parameter is included but not defined anywhere
- `appID` includes long API key that should likely be shortened to a variable such as `APIKEY`

**Sample response:**

- includes `riptide` element that isn’t defined in response definition
- `riptide` missing comma after second instance
- `riptide` not shown in third hour block
- indentation formatting is a bit messed up with word riptide

**Response definition:**

- `wind` description doesn’t indicate what measurement is used (knots?)
- for `wind`, “int” should be spelled out as integer
- `watertemp` doesn’t indicate measurement units either
- `surfheight` data type is “Map” when it should be Integer
- `recommendation` doesn’t include more detail such as how many possible recommendation strings are available, and what they even mean.
- `surfheight` should either be `surf_height` or `surfheight` – response example conflicts with usage in response definition table
- no hierarchy expressed for child elements (e.g., `tide`, `wind`, `watertemp`)