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[CodenStuff]

The Codenstuff Site API (WIP)


What is an API?
API stands for 'Application programming interface' and is a way for websites and other services to communicate with eachother by way of sending and receiving data to complete a task or function usually only available on the website or service itself.

More detailed explanation can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applicatio ... _interface

Codenstuff.com is a website and we use a database and a lot of scripts and HTML files to display what you see as a web page in your browser. The site scripts retrieve data from the database then combine it with the layout of our HTML files to display that data in a nice visual way that can only be accessed and seen through a web browser but what if you don't want to use a web browser? that is where the API comes in.

The API will let you access and use the same data as the website but without the HTML files that display that data in a visual way which is basically just raw data that you can use to create your own software, apps, site/mobile widgets and display the data however you want as well as sending data back to the API.

In what form is the raw data?
The API can spit out data in either XML or Json format making it easy to use in all popular development platforms.

How is it accessed?
You access the API using simple GET or POST requests to the API Url for example lets say you wanted to see your profile data you would make a request to the API like:

/API.php?userinfo=1

Where '1' is your user ID. (Example only!)

*A more in-depth explanation on how to use the API will be posted shortly*

What information can we get using the API?
When complete the API will allow you to pull data from all areas of the site including:
Topics, Posts, User profiles, Status messages, Chatroom, Videos, Software
And contain all the relevant information such as:
Topic/Post ID, Time & date, title, text, user ID, avatars, direct Urls, user colors, bbcode, credits, emails(personal only), number of replies/views....and more.

More information on how to access and use the API will be posted shortly.

Thank you for reading cooll;

[Usman55]

Wow, lengthy article. How do you write so much? I keep writing and writing and when I post it, it's only 5 lines.

I think I'm getting into programming again. I'm looking forward to starting VB.Net 2012 and my main focus will be Metro i.e. XML and whatever there is. Your APIs will come in handy while making our apps social, literally.

[comathi]

Much like Usman, I'd like to get back into programming, as I haven't done any in a while.

Creating apps that take advantage of the API is certainly the first thing I'll do. It's also an opportunity for me to learn new programming languages and target different platforms. I'm thinking mainly of Metro, Android and Linux.

I can't wait for it to be complete, it sounds great so far cooll;

[smashapps]

Sounds good CodenStuff I might use the API too in an application.

[kolega28]

Could be a cool way to get back into programming for me too I really want to make a chatroom app.

[Shim]

thanks a lot cody , nice post

[zachman61]

API.php was not found on this server

[comathi]

For now, the API URL is DummyAPIJsonXML.php .

You can find loads more information about the API at these URLs: viewtopic.php?f=226&t=10259 , viewtopic.php?f=226&t=10265 , viewtopic.php?f=226&t=10266