[uf-discuss] Microformats for Write APIs

[gareth rushgrove]

On 2/19/08, Ernest Prabhakar <ernest.prabhakar at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Gareth,
>
> On Feb 18, 2008, at 3:51 PM, gareth rushgrove wrote:
> >>
> >> I'm interested in the idea of using microformats to auto-discover
> >> Write API functions. So a simple case might be:
>
> Sounds like you want hAtomPub :-)
>
> http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc5023

To some extent (and hAtom would be one of a few starting points I
would think) but in some ways that's too restrictive. Not everyone is
going to use APP and their isn't too much adoption as yet. But their
are lots of forms out their that expose API like properties.

Gareth

>
> -- Ernie P.
>
> >
> >
> > [this post reposted to discuss after a brief outing on dev -
> > http://microformats.org/discuss/mail/microformats-dev/2008-February/000447.html
> > ]
> >
> > A post to this list [ok, I got the wrong list first time round] seemed
> > in order after a few discussions at SemanticCamp over the weekend. At
> > this stage this is basically a
> > pre-idea, floated to see if their is any general interest.
> >
> > The idea of using Microformats as a replacement for a seperate API
> > layer has been mooted for a while*. But in general this has been a
> > discussion about Read APIs (ie. asking for data) as apposed to Write
> > APIs (ie. adding data).
> >
> > I'm interested in the idea of using microformats to auto-discover
> > Write API functions. So a simple case might be:
> >
> > 1. Point a parser at a blog post page
> > 2. Parser establishes that a form exists
> > 3. Parser works out the method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.)
> > 4. Parser works out the form parameters, their input types and whether
> > or not they are required
> > 5. Parser can produce API docs
> >
> > So for instance taking Flickr as an example. Flickr allows comments on
> > Photos from the photo page. eg.
> > http://www.flickr.com/photos/garethr/2275608910/
> >
> > Flickr also allows you to add comments via the API.
> > http://www.flickr.com/services/api/flickr.photos.comments.addComment.html
> >
> > Standardisation might be interesting here as well. For instance back
> > to blog comments. Comments from within aggregators would likely be
> > simpler where comment form definitions can be established
> > programmatically.
> >
> > Let me know what you think about the general idea.
> >
> > Gareth
> >
> > * http://allinthehead.com/retro/301/can-your-website-be-your-api
> >
> > --
> > Gareth Rushgrove
> > garethrushgrove.com
> > morethanseven.net
> > getjobsin.com
> > isitbirthday.com
> > _______________________________________________
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> > microformats-discuss at microformats.org
> > http://microformats.org/mailman/listinfo/microformats-discuss
>
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>


-- 
Gareth Rushgrove
garethrushgrove.com
morethanseven.net
getjobsin.com
isitbirthday.com