Second query returns 10 results for me.

The second query doesn't return all the external links that are present in the article (and visible in the REST query). It may be returning a different number of results at different times- the bug is that it's less than the full number. Adding an mwapi:ellimit property seems to produce fewer results.

As for the second one, it's unfortunately a limitation of the current API - only one result per page (<page> tag in generator) can be returned. In general, only one result per XPath match - i.e. if XPath matches more than one thing per page it won't work.

Further finding: with no mwapi:ellimit property it returns 10 results. With mwapi:ellimit "max" it returns one result. With a numerical mwapi:ellimit property it returns varying (small) numbers of results. With a nonsense mwapi:ellimit property (e.g. "xam" "qwerty") it returns a set of 92 results which seems complete. So I only get the desired result when entering a nonsense input.

In T223773#5195422, @Smalyshev wrote:

As for the second one, it's unfortunately a limitation of the current API - only one result per page (<page> tag in generator) can be returned. In general, only one result per XPath match - i.e. if XPath matches more than one thing per page it won't work.

I don't understand- it's possible to get multiple results through this interface: as many as 92 in this example.

In T223773#5195439, @MartinPoulter wrote:

In T223773#5195422, @Smalyshev wrote:

As for the second one, it's unfortunately a limitation of the current API - only one result per page (<page> tag in generator) can be returned. In general, only one result per XPath match - i.e. if XPath matches more than one thing per page it won't work.

I don't understand- it's possible to get multiple results through this interface: as many as 92 in this example.

Yes – with ellimit=1, there will only be one <page> and one <el> per API result. The 92 overall results you’re seeing are the results of 92 separate API requests, thanks to continuation. Of course, this is massively slower than a single API request returning all 92 results :/

Interesting. "mad" outputs more than "max" ;)

What is needed to run the generator just once, at least once for a given variable?

What is needed to run the generator just once, at least once for a given variable?

If I understand right what you mean, then from https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikidata_Query_Service/User_Manual/MWAPI

bd:serviceParam wikibase:limit "once" .

I've created T231390: MWAPI can only match one result per page for handling the multiple values in one result issue, so that we have clearly focused task.