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[0] Collect/generate plings data via a Drupal module

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:43:42 +0100

The Drupal CMS could be very useful as a tool to both collect and publish Plings data. This idea is concerned with the collection of the data and whether any module currently exists to help or a new one would have to be configured.

[0 votes] Solution #1: Dedicated PlingsDrupal module
One solution would be to create a new module that would fit and talk directly to the Plings API.

[0 votes] Solution #2: Utilise Drupal Event Module
Possibility to use - http://drupal.org/project/event ?

[0 votes] Solution #3: CCK, FeedAPI & Input Module
A flexible solution may work with CCK, FeedAPI and creating a custom PlingsInput module for making the input API calls.

This would involve:

1) Creating a CCK content type which mirrors the fields in the Plings Output API/Input API. This can take advantage of all the existing CCK fields such as NodeReference (for maintaining the relationships between events, venues and host organisations), link, images, location etc.

Where particular validation for Plings Input API fields is required - this could involve creation of an additional CCK field type, or validation routine.

The creation of an activity record could take advantage of Youth Agora's 'complete' module for showing how complete a record is.

It also gives maximum flexibility for CCK activities to be represented in Views. CCK is moving into Core in Drupal 7.

2) Creating a FeedAPI Parser that parses Plings Output API RSS and XML (depending on presence of API key) into the CCK nodes set up in part (1).

This would allow a Drupal install to pull in Plings data and display it in all sorts of ways through Views, Faceted browsing etc.

Anything that can be done with a node could be done with a Pling.

(3) A custom module would need to be written that calls the Plings Input API when a 'Plings' activity type CCK node (or 'Venue' and 'Provider') nodes are edited.

[2] Function for people to be able to register for an Output API key

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:26:42 +0100

For people wishing to use the XML data, an auto method to get an API key for live data would be useful.

[0 votes] Solution #1: Copy Google ;-)
As with http://code.google.com/apis/maps/signup.html there is a one step process to agree to the terms, register the domain for the API usage and the generate the API key.

We may not want to tie the API use with the domain however, if people are developing on test servers and even publishing data / apps to other domains

[2 votes] Solution #2: Have a friendly form!
Anybody contributing to Plings, either by adding data, or reusing it - will need an API key. Therefore, have a nice friendly form for people to easily declare their need(s) from Plings - and then generating the API key and other details - would be needed

Inspiration taken from
http://odadeo.com/signup

"I am a (Activity provider / Local authority / developer ) and I want to help Plings by (adding my data / reusing the data ), etc ..>"

[1] cache xml/rss

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:46:43 +0100

The data we have in plings continues to increase day by day. At some point in the future we will have to cache the information locally or
maybe even on the plings server itself. This needs careful consideration as we don't want out date or incorrect information reaching users.

[0 votes] Solution #1: use apache etags
apache has a setting that generates a hash based on a number
of definable settings such as file size file date inode number.

The client and the server send the hash to each other
if they match the server responds with a not modified
message.

This is a opt in system the client can ignore if needed.

This would save bandwidth and resources for all plings users.

[1 votes] Solution #2: add gzip support
apache can zip the document up before sending it out.
This saves bandwidth however I think the client MUST
be able to unzip. This could cause awful things to happen
if the client can't do this.

[0] What's New

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:46:47 +0100

A feed or easy API call to fetch only recently changed records or information.

It would be great to be able to send information providers, youth workers, parents & young people a list of 'new' activities this week. This would be a feed which excluded (in some way) recurrence of activities from previous weeks - but highlighted substantially changed or new activities.

[0 votes] Solution #1: Filtered feeds
Some code which filters feeds to provide this 'new activity' functionality.

[2] Plings logo in XML output

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:08:13 +0100

Provide a link back to a plings logo in the XML output.

Might just be useful for e.g. 'data powered by plings' type attributions.

[2 votes] Solution #1: Add field with a link to a web image
Groupspaces XML does this:

http://media.groupspaces.com/images/logo/logo-250.png
http://media.groupspaces.com/images/logo/logo-250.png

[0] Link to original Source data

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:03:55 +0100

The Plings API's did once have, but no longer seem to have a field to send information about the original data source of an activity - e.g. the web address of that activity on it's original website.

It would be good to gather and publish this data

[0 votes] Solution #1: Create an original source field in both input and output API's
We used to have ActivitySource in the API for just this reason.

It became ActivitySourceID as we made that field required, but it serves a different function as a unique identifier for a data provider. (it could be a URL but not sure how practical that is for people

A simple addition of an optional field in both the input and output API's should deal with this.

[0] There should be a keyword search on the Output API

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:18:40 +0100

Narrowing searches of the API can be problematic - with more and more filters it is easy to narrow your search so much that you end up missing results. Having said that it would seem to me that:

"Show me everything tagged with Football in Stockport" should be the kind of call the API could deal with.

For now I would suggest this is only a 'keyword' search.

[0 votes] Solution #1: New search parameter ?keyword=
Additional 'optional parameter' in a search.

Maybe it would be possible to combine keywords e.g. football,tennis

Perhaps this would work as a comma separated list.

I guess we would want this on all outputs (xml, rss, kml, etc)