Developer's Guide to Social Programming: Building Social Context Using Facebook, Google Friend Connect, and the Twitter API, Rough Cuts

Description

• Copyright 2011
• Dimensions: 7 X 9
• Pages: 336
• Edition: 1st

• Rough Cuts
• ISBN-10: 0-321-68095-2
• ISBN-13: 978-0-321-68095-2

This is the Rough Cut version of the printed book.

In The Developer’s Guide to Social Programming, Mark Hawker shows developers how to build applications that integrate with the major social networking sites. Unlike competitive books that focus on a single social media platform, this book covers all three leading platforms: Facebook, OpenSocial, and Twitter. Hawker identifies the characteristics of superior, highly engaging social media applications, and shows how to use the Facebook platform, Google Friend Connect, and the Twitter API to create them.

You’ll find practical solutions and code for addressing many common social programming challenges, from site registration to search, blog commenting to creating location-based applications. Hawker concludes by walking you through building a complete, integrated social application: one that works seamlessly across all leading platforms, and draws on powerful features from each. Coverage includes

• Working with the Twitter API, including the Search API, Lists API, and Retweets API
• Authenticating users with Twitter OAuth
• Mastering the Facebook API, FQL, and XFBML
• Utilizing the Facebook JavaScript Library for creating dynamic content, and animation
• Exploring the Google Friend Connect JavaScript API, and integrating with the OpenSocial API
• Using Facebook’s tools for sharing, social commenting, stream publishing, and live conversation
• Using the PHP OpenSocial Client Library with Google Friend Connect
• Creating, testing, and submitting Google Friend Connect gadgets

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Sample Content

Table of Contents

I: Twitter

1 Working with the Twitter API 1

Twitter API Essentials 1

Twitter API Methods 3

Twitter API Parameters 6

Twitter API Return Formats 10

Accessing the Twitter API 11

cURL 12

Twitter-async 14

Twitter API Rate Limiting 17

Twitter API Error Handling 18

Summary 19

2 Diving Into the Twitter API Methods 21

Twitter API Methods 21

User Objects 23

Status Objects 26

Direct Message Objects 28

Saved Search Objects 29

ID Objects 30

Relationship Objects 31

Response Objects 32

Hash Objects 33

Twitter Search API 34

Introducing the Atom Syndication Format 34

Twitter Search API Methods 38

Summary 43

3 Authentication with Twitter OAuth 45

Introducing Twitter OAuth 45

OAuth Benefits 46

OAuth Definitions 46

Implementing Twitter OAuth 48

Twitter OAuth Workflow 48

Test Tube: A Sample Twitter Application 50

Summary 59

4 Extending the Twitter API: Retweets, Lists,

and Location 61

Extending Twitter’s Core Functionality 61

Retweet API 62

Lists API 64

Geolocation API 68

Twitter Community Evolution 71

Platform Translations 71

Spam Reporting 72

Future Directions 74

Summary 76

II: Facebook Platform

5 An Overview of Facebook Platform Website

Integration 77

Facebook Platform for Developers 77

Facebook Platform 78

Registering a Facebook Application 79

Referencing a Facebook Platform Application 81

Facebook API, FQL, and XFBML 84

Facebook API and FQL 84

XFBML 97

Summary 98

6 Registration, Authentication, and Translations with Facebook 99

User Authorization and Authentication 99

Logging In and Detecting Facebook Status 101

Logging Out, Disconnecting, and Reclaiming

Accounts 107

Connecting and Inviting Friends 109

Translations for Facebook 111

Preparing Your Application and Registering Text 111

Administering and Accessing Translations 113

Summary 114

7 Using Facebook for Sharing, Commenting, and Stream Publishing 115

Content-Sharing and Live Conversation 115

Facebook Share 116

Facebook Widgets 118

Social Commenting and Stream Publishing 120 

Updates

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