The Facebook Client API as a User Defined Type (UDT)
What is the Facebook Client API?
The Facebook Client API gives developers an easy way to communicate with Facebook, handling authentication with transparent communication. It may be used with any VSP or VSPX page, including but not limited to ODS.
How do I use the Facebook Client API?
To get access to the the Facebook Client API, you should execute the facebook.sql script through iSQL.
Note: Be sure to upgrade to the latest version of the ods_framework_dav.vad package, to get the latest versions of all files.
What is the expected result?
After execution of the SQL file, a type with name "DB.DBA.Facebook" will be created.
Creating an object of this type with the correct parameter(s) will set up a functional REST client for Facebook.
Description of usage
- The
DB.DBA.Facebooktype consists of a main object containing all the properties (api_key,api_secret) required to establish a connection to Facebook and user that is currently logged in to Facebook. - The Facebook user has no interaction with (
api_key,api_secret). The developer must setapi_keyandapi_secret. Essential part of the UDT is its property named "api_client" —- This property is of type
DB.DBA.FacebookRestClient, also made available after execution offacebook.sql. - This property is the real REST client that takes care of authentication and communication to Facebook.
- This property is of type
Examples
DECLARE appapikey, appsecret VARCHAR;
DECLARE _facebook DB.DBA.Facebook;
DECLARE _user INTEGER;
-- here you should put the 32-character API key that corresponds to
-- the application you have created in Facebook.
appapikey := '5568c178ad6a4cef74da4848b164602c';
-- here you should put the 32-character API secret that corresponds
-- to the application you have created in Facebook.
appsecret := 'f35a624a0c9d153a6fa712a439bea14b';
_facebook := new Facebook(appapikey, appsecret, params, lines);
-- Constructor method for the UDT should contain 4 obligatory parameters -
-- API key, API secret, params, and lines parameters available in VSP
-- With this action the API is set up.
-- To work with Facebook data, we must make the Facebook user login
_user := _facebook.require_login();
-- after successful login, _user is INTEGER that contains Facebook user ID.
-- All further communication to Facebook is related to api_client property:
-- for example if we want to take full name of current user:
DECLARE _xmle ANY;
_xmle := _facebook.api_client.users_getInfo(CAST(_user AS VARCHAR),'name');
-- Here we CAST _user as VARCHAR, as the first parameter is comma-separated
-- list of the users IDs for which we need the field "name". On successful
-- execution, _xmle will contain xml entity with the result. We should
-- parse it in order to get what we need from result. For example, if we
-- need name as VARCHAR we can perform the following:
DECLARE _uname VARCHAR;
_uname :=
CAST ( xpath_eval ( '/users_getInfo_response/user/name',
_res
) AS VARCHAR
);
METHOD auth_getSession
(
auth_token ANY
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD users_getInfo
(
uids ANY,
fields ANY
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD users_isAppAdded
()
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD friends_areFriends
(
uids1 ANY,
uids2 ANY
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD friends_get
()
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD events_get
(
uid INTEGER,
eids ANY,
start_time INTEGER,
end_time INTEGER,
rsvp_status VARCHAR
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD events_get
(
uid INTEGER
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD events_getMembers
(
eid INTEGER
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD fql_query
(
_query VARCHAR
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD feed_publishStoryToUser
(
title VARCHAR,
body VARCHAR,
image_1 VARCHAR,
image_1_link VARCHAR,
image_2 VARCHAR,
image_2_link VARCHAR,
image_3 VARCHAR,
image_3_link VARCHAR,
image_4 VARCHAR,
image_4_link VARCHAR,
priority INTEGER
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD feed_publishStoryToUser
(
title VARCHAR,
body VARCHAR
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD feed_publishActionOfUser
(
title VARCHAR,
body VARCHAR,
image_1 VARCHAR,
image_1_link VARCHAR,
image_2 VARCHAR,
image_2_link VARCHAR,
image_3 VARCHAR,
image_3_link VARCHAR,
image_4 VARCHAR,
image_4_link VARCHAR,
priority INTEGER
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD feed_publishActionOfUser
(
title VARCHAR,
body VARCHAR
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD friends_getAppUsers
()
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD groups_get
(
uid INTEGER,
gids ANY
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD groups_getMembers
(
gid INTEGER
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD notifications_get
()
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD notifications_send
(
to_ids ANY,
notification VARCHAR,
email VARCHAR
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD notifications_sendRequest
(
to_ids ANY,
type VARCHAR,
content VARCHAR,
image VARCHAR,
invite INTEGER
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD photos_get
(
subj_id INTEGER,
aid INTEGER,
pids ANY
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD photos_getAlbums
(
uid INTEGER,
aids INTEGER
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD photos_getTags
(
pids ANY
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD profile_setFBML
(
markup VARCHAR,
uid INTEGER
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD profile_getFBML
(
uid INTEGER
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD fbml_refreshImgSrc
(
_url VARCHAR
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD fbml_refreshRefUrl
(
_url VARCHAR
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD fbml_setRefHandle
(
_handle VARCHAR,
fbml VARCHAR
)
RETURNS ANY
-- You can find a description for each method at the beginning of the
-- method definition in facebook.sql or in
-- http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/API
-- there are 3 methods that are related to REST communication but not
-- to API function.
METHOD generate_sig
(
params_array ANY,
secret VARCHAR
)
RETURNS VARCHAR,
METHOD call_method
(
method VARCHAR,
params ANY
)
RETURNS ANY,
METHOD post_request
(
method VARCHAR,
params ANY
)
RETURNS ANY,
-- all functions return XML entity as result, except
-- auth_getSession(),
-- users_getInfo(uids ANY, fields ANY), and
-- users_isAppAdded()
Related
- ODS Facebook Guide
- ODS Facebook Integration Administrators Guide
- Link existing ODS user with Facebook account
- Link ODS user with Facebook account using the Sign Up Facebook feature.
- Link existing ODS user with Facebook account using the Profile Setup Feature.
- Authenticate in ODS using your Facebook account
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