Filing History List Response returning different types

[mahan_arora]

Hello all, yesterday I noticed that the Filing History List resource needs to be looked into. The return object, within "Items" has a property of "subCategory". According to your documentation this is of type "string". Unfortunately it seems your returning different types depending on the company for this property. I have found cases where you return an array of strings but other times just a string.

I have also noticecd the same behaviour within the object of "Resolution". This also has a property of "subCategory" of type "string". Again I have found companies, where when you do a filing fistory list call using the registration number returns an array of strings.

I wanted to point this out and also enquire whether you are aware of this. Was this done on purpose? See this can be very troublesome for those using C# who wish to desiarlise the object into a class. If the return object is different depending on company, one would have to deserialise the object as a dynamic and then convert it to a user defined class and not use the resource provided.

[mmoore]

Hi Mahan,

Can you provide any examples of the responses so we can look into this?

Thanks

[mahan_arora]

{
"start_index": 0,
"filing_history_status": "filing-history-available",
"items_per_page": 25,
"items": [
{
"links": {
"self": "/company/08928974/filing-history/MzE2MzkxODIwNGFkaXF6a2N4",
"document_metadata": "https://document-api.companieshouse.gov.uk/document/VNtdsCEZe3WB2LYbk9embxv2JjZ8mw5r8x3RfOH_Bg0"
},
"category": "gazette",
"type": "GAZ2",
"date": "2016-12-08",
"description": "gazette-dissolved-liquidation",
"paper_filed": true,
"pages": 1,
"barcode": null,
"transaction_id": "MzE2MzkxODIwNGFkaXF6a2N4"
},
{
"date": "2016-09-08",
"subcategory": "voluntary",
"type": "4.72",
"links": {
"self": "/company/08928974/filing-history/MzE1NzAxMjcxMmFkaXF6a2N4",
"document_metadata": "https://document-api.companieshouse.gov.uk/document/UGGHnXVfAEOMaPr9uqgZmejZlj3uNKtU9pxjWvvnQHs"
},
"category": "insolvency",
"paper_filed": true,
"description": "liquidation-voluntary-creditors-return-of-final-meeting",
"pages": 8,
"barcode": "A5EJWZJF",
"transaction_id": "MzE1NzAxMjcxMmFkaXF6a2N4"
},
{
"date": "2015-11-24",
"paper_filed": true,
"category": "address",
"description": "change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address",
"type": "AD01",
"action_date": "2015-11-24",
"description_values": {
"new_address": "3 Hamel House Calico Business Park Sandy Way Tamworth B77 4BF",
"old_address": "2 Keresley Green Road Coventry West Midlands CV6 2FG",
"change_date": "2015-11-24"
},
"links": {
"self": "/company/08928974/filing-history/MzEzNTgzMTQ4OGFkaXF6a2N4",
"document_metadata": "https://document-api.companieshouse.gov.uk/document/OWGftOiw7hoOj96vvJXE8YuHWr6GsUSt07CgRM0XpFI"
},
"pages": 2,
"barcode": "A4K5YKP6",
"transaction_id": "MzEzNTgzMTQ4OGFkaXF6a2N4"
},
{
"subcategory": "voluntary",
"date": "2015-11-20",
"description": "liquidation-voluntary-appointment-of-liquidator",
"category": "insolvency",
"paper_filed": true,
"type": "600",
"links": {
"self": "/company/08928974/filing-history/MzEzNTYyNjIwOWFkaXF6a2N4",
"document_metadata": "https://document-api.companieshouse.gov.uk/document/Y0_ZG7qmhOtmRKHUv_AyRpRcWeo2NwoJ2R5yjogkt3g"
},
"pages": 1,
"barcode": "A4K5YKPM",
"transaction_id": "MzEzNTYyNjIwOWFkaXF6a2N4"
},
{
"resolutions": [
{
"category": "liquidation",
"delta_at": "20151120105153855127",
"description": "liquidation-voluntary-extraordinary-resolution-to-wind-up-with-case-start-date",
"description_values": {
"case_start_date": "2015-11-06"
},
"original_description": "Extraordinary resolution to wind up",
"subcategory": [
"voluntary",
"resolution"
],
"type": "LRESEX"
},
{
"category": "liquidation",
"delta_at": "20151123230330806912",
"description": "liquidation-voluntary-extraordinary-resolution-to-wind-up-with-case-start-date",
"description_values": {
"case_start_date": "2015-11-06"
},
"original_description": "Extraordinary resolution to wind up",
"subcategory": [
"voluntary",
"resolution"
],
"type": "LRESEX"
}
],
"description_values": {
"description": "Resolutions"
},
"paper_filed": true,
"links": {
"self": "/company/08928974/filing-history/QTRLNVlLT1lhZGlxemtjeA",
"document_metadata": "https://document-api.companieshouse.gov.uk/document/3jljQLJkNZk1Jt3RoL9J_2j6YSszsX1cYMalLrO0jgo"
},
"type": "RESOLUTIONS",
"description": "resolution",
"category": "resolution",
"date": "2015-11-20",
"pages": 1,
"barcode": null,
"transaction_id": "QTRLNVlLT1lhZGlxemtjeA"
},
{
"paper_filed": true,
"type": "4.20",
"links": {
"self": "/company/08928974/filing-history/MzEzNTYyNjAwMWFkaXF6a2N4",
"document_metadata": "https://document-api.companieshouse.gov.uk/document/KOTbH2bJbWVV9aA7DJFwf9QvcA805DZvl24WkqGDAGg"
},
"subcategory": "voluntary",
"date": "2015-11-20",
"description": "liquidation-voluntary-statement-of-affairs-with-form-attached",
"category": "insolvency",
"description_values": {
"form_attached": "4.19"
},
"pages": 5,
"barcode": "A4K5YKPE",
"transaction_id": "MzEzNTYyNjAwMWFkaXF6a2N4"
},
{
"links": {
"self": "/company/08928974/filing-history/MzEyNTk2MTcwN2FkaXF6a2N4",
"document_metadata": "https://document-api.companieshouse.gov.uk/document/Pjf4ZYmFY4lH3Q8sFLSFckFA9_LDPkRpBwmhJSjmC0k"
},
"action_date": "2015-06-25",
"type": "AR01",
"category": "annual-return",
"description_values": {
"made_up_date": "2015-06-25"
},
"date": "2015-06-29",
"description": "annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders",
"associated_filings": [
{
"action_date": 1435536000000,
"category": "capital",
"date": "2015-06-29",
"description": "statement-of-capital",
"description_values": {
"capital": [
{
"currency": "GBP",
"figure": "100"
}
],
"date": "2015-06-29"
},
"original_description": "29/06/15 Statement of Capital;GBP 100",
"type": "SH01"
}
],
"pages": 4,
"barcode": "X4ADO43L",
"transaction_id": "MzEyNTk2MTcwN2FkaXF6a2N4"
},
{
"date": "2015-06-24",
"description": "change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address",
"action_date": "2015-06-24",
"category": "address",
"type": "AD01",
"links": {
"self": "/company/08928974/filing-history/MzEyNTc4ODA2OWFkaXF6a2N4",
"document_metadata": "https://document-api.companieshouse.gov.uk/document/xbHwcXGeD8hluWM48KpKlOew7ANDC8bgxogLZaY0RnM"
},
"description_values": {
"old_address": "80 Addison Road Coventry West Midlands CV6 2JN England",
"new_address": "2 Keresley Green Road Coventry West Midlands CV6 2FG",
"change_date": "2015-06-24"
},
"pages": 1,
"barcode": "X4A8DKHT",
"transaction_id": "MzEyNTc4ODA2OWFkaXF6a2N4"
},
{
"category": "incorporation",
"type": "NEWINC",
"date": "2014-03-07",
"description": "incorporation-company",
"associated_filings": [
{
"action_date": 1394150400000,
"category": "capital",
"data": {},
"date": "2014-03-07",
"description": "statement-of-capital",
"description_values": {
"capital": [
{
"currency": "GBP",
"figure": "100"
}
],
"date": "2014-03-07"
},
"original_description": "07/03/14 Statement of Capital;GBP 100",
"type": "SH01"
},
{
"date": "2014-03-07",
"type": "MODEL ARTICLES",
"category": "incorporation",
"description": "model-articles-adopted-amended-provisions"
}
],
"links": {
"document_metadata": "https://document-api.companieshouse.gov.uk/document/3DJZm8ZQ4h2YuVszwldrniMGUHMguNHYtPf4Z9jCS-0",
"self": "/company/08928974/filing-history/MzA5NTg1NDUxMmFkaXF6a2N4"
},
"pages": 30,
"paper_filed": true,
"barcode": "X335SLPD",
"transaction_id": "MzA5NTg1NDUxMmFkaXF6a2N4"
}
],
"total_count": 9
}

Above is a response for company number "08928974" and I have highlighted in bold, Where the subcategory returns more than one string.

[mmoore]

Thanks for that example response and for pointing out this issue. We have looked into this and it is indeed a discrepancy in the API. Subcategory shouldn't be returning an array of strings when the documentation states a string.

Please treat this response as a String for the time being and we will work on getting this fixed to no longer return an array.

Many thanks

[jamie_c]

Hi - this API is still arbitrarily returning an array instead of a single string. Is there any timeline for this fix being implemented?

[mahan_arora]

@MArkWilliams Please update thank you

[MArkWilliams]

Sorry for the delay.
This has been passed to the development architects.
I will update this thread when I hear back from them.

[cs1]

Hi,
Was this ever resolved? I have only recently started experiencing the same issue (subcategory field is sometimes a string and sometimes an array of strings) but I'm not sure whether it's a regression or our application is encountering a problematic filing category for the first time. I'm hitting the issue on https://api.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07185187/filing-history for example.
Let me know if this is intended behaviour and I can then update our application accordingly.

Thanks,
Sam