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HTML is good for debugging, but is unsuitable for application use.
Specify the format parameter to change the output format.
To see the non HTML representation of the XML format, set format=xml.
See the complete documentation, or API help for more information. 
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<api>
  <query-continue>
    <recentchanges rccontinue="20170501184503|76" />
  </query-continue>
  <query>
    <recentchanges>
      <rc type="log" ns="2" title="User:Jconway" pageid="0" revid="0" old_revid="0" rcid="86" timestamp="2018-12-04T18:47:05Z" />
      <rc type="log" ns="2" title="User:Jconway" pageid="0" revid="0" old_revid="0" rcid="85" timestamp="2018-12-04T18:47:02Z" />
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="Code Coverage Tool for R" pageid="3" revid="84" old_revid="47" rcid="84" timestamp="2018-04-12T15:46:51Z" />
      <rc type="new" ns="0" title="Top Level Projects" pageid="22" revid="83" old_revid="0" rcid="83" timestamp="2017-11-28T17:27:24Z" />
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="Main Page" pageid="1" revid="82" old_revid="81" rcid="82" timestamp="2017-11-28T17:22:03Z" />
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="Main Page" pageid="1" revid="81" old_revid="58" rcid="81" timestamp="2017-11-08T15:54:04Z" />
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="Distributed Computing Working Group" pageid="12" revid="80" old_revid="78" rcid="80" timestamp="2017-05-12T02:53:20Z" />
      <rc type="log" ns="6" title="File:BengtssonH 20170511-future,RConsortium,flat.pdf" pageid="21" revid="0" old_revid="0" rcid="79" timestamp="2017-05-12T02:52:32Z" />
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="Distributed Computing Working Group" pageid="12" revid="78" old_revid="77" rcid="78" timestamp="2017-05-12T02:39:26Z" />
      <rc type="edit" ns="0" title="Distributed Computing Working Group" pageid="12" revid="77" old_revid="74" rcid="77" timestamp="2017-05-12T02:38:53Z" />
    </recentchanges>
  </query>
</api>