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Connections API features (preliminary)

Proposed implementation option principles

  • 3 level integration:
    • API calls for getting XML/JSON data back for integrating in catalog - [API]
    • API calls that return dynamic URL for widget to open in light-box over catalog for particular user - [lightbox]
    • Dynamic widgets for particular user to place right in catalog - [widget]
  • Standard Connections and Reviews implementation in search results, item details pages and at ANY item information throughout catalog (like checked out items, reading history, etc.)
  • Search results enhancement using ChiliFresh data

Issues to discuss

  • If and how do we implement looking at other user profiles in Connections?
  • How do we style widgets? Do we agree on dimensions and styles before?
  • What do we show to a user if Connections is not accessible?

User functions

  • Register [API/widget/lightbox]
    • Using single sign-on [API]
    • Using username and password [API/widget/lightbox]
    • Using Twitter and Facebook [widget/lightbox]
  • Login [API/widget/lightbox]
    • Using single sign-on [API]
    • Using username and password [API/widget/lightbox]
    • Using Twitter and Facebook [widget/lightbox]
  • Sign-out [API]
  • Get/edit user information [API/widget/lightbox]
    • Gender
    • City (gets from library's settings, but can edit)
    • State (gets from library's settings, but can edit)
    • Country (gets from library's settings, but can edit)
    • Favorite quote
    • Birth date + whether to show it on profile
    • Current read - ISBN/UPC
    • User picture (3 sizes, JPG, GIF or PNG)
    • Facebook integration (user ID for opening user's FB page)
    • Twitter integration (username for opening Twitter profile)
  • User's news / updates (API/widget can show new items since last session in each) [API/widget/lightbox]:
    • Reviews
    • Recommendations
    • Friending invitations
    • Comments (like other user posts on wall)
    • Messages (internal messaging)
    • Replies to user's posts in discussion groups
    • Book clubs that are about to start
  • User statistics (includes user's data + average for the same number for all of user's friends) [API/widget]:
    • Number of friends
    • Books on bookshelves
    • Reviews posted
    • Number of recommendations made
    • Number of comments on wall
  • User histories [API/widget/lightbox]:
    • Who visited user's profile (last 10 people)
    • Which profiles user visited (last 10 people)
    • Which items user last visited (last 10 items)
  • Get/set user interests - [API/lightbox]

Bookshelf functions

  • Show user's bookshelf [widget/lightbox] - the widget can be displayed just as on Connections

For all features [API/lightbox]:

  • Get bookshelves - there can be several created by user
  • Create / delete bookshelves
  • Get bookshelf items - get items on particular bookshelf, sort them by title, author
  • Add item to bookshelf - add items to particular bookshelf. There is “default bookshelf” setting
  • Remove item from bookshelf
  • Move item between bookshelves
  • Create bookshelf widget - create widget and then retrieve code snippet for posting on blog or Facebook page
  • Import items - import items from files from other services like Goodreads, Shelfari, etc.

Item functions

For all features [API/lightbox]:

  • Add item manually - if item does not show up in library's or Connections search results, add item manually by adding ISBN/UPC, title, author and cover
  • Set item as current read - user can set current read to display on profile
  • Get item information - title, author, ISBN, etc. that we may have
  • Get item users (users who have item on their bookshelves)
  • Item tagging - get, add tags for particular item, retrieve items by tags. Tags distinguished between user's own tags and other user tags
  • Follow/unfollow item - user can follow particular item and see who added item to bookshelf, recommended, reviewed it, etc.
  • Get followings - get a list of events on followed items
  • Get suggested items - Connections item recommendations based on particular item, other users having it on their bookshelves, other items other users have on their bookshelves, have reviewed, recommended, etc.
  • Get items other users visited who checked out particular item - like on Amazon - where you can see what other users bought after buying particular item
  • Get related users - get users that are similar to particular user based on their bookshelves, other items other users have on their bookshelves, have reviewed, recommended, etc.
  • Get related communities - get communities that are related as above
  • Get related book clubs - get book clubs that are related as above
  • Get related discussion groups - get discussion groups that are related as above
  • Get related chat rooms - get chat rooms that are related as above
  • Personal item details - when user started/ended reading, comments, etc. This is private, does not get shared
  • Novelist data - gets Novelist content for particular item from API

Friends / users functions

For all features [API/lightbox]:

  • Get user's friends + links to their profiles
  • Follow/unfollow other users
  • Online/offline parameter of user
  • Get “My followings” - which users/friends the user follows
  • Get followings - get a list of events on which friend or person user follows has done
  • Browse library users
  • View other user profile
  • Instant messaging with user online [if user online]
  • Send internal mail message to user
  • Invite a friend who is not yet on Connections
  • Shared items - which items on user bookshelves are in common

Item recommendation functions

For all features [API/lightbox]:

  • See all recommendations
  • Recommend item to user
  • Recommend item over e-mail

List functions

For all features [API/lightbox]:

  • Get communities list + search
  • Get book clubs list + search
  • Get discussion groups list + search
  • Get chat rooms list + search
  • Get tags list + search
  • Get friends + search
  • Get library's users + search

Specific functions

All features in [lightbox]:

  • Discussion groups - see all, favorites, join one, create one, etc.
  • Chat rooms - see all, favorites, join one, create one, etc.
  • Book clubs - see all, favorites, join one, create one, etc.
  • Communities - see all, favorites, join one, create one, etc.
  • Reference desk chat - talk to reference desk librarian
  • Internal messaging - see all sent/received messages, send a message to user
connections-api.1335259202.txt.gz · Last modified: 2012/04/24 04:20 by jposeika