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 Help: NewsStand API |
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Feedbooks is open to third party developpers through our API. NewsStand API, could be describded as our "output" API: using XML you can grab the URLs for our books/newspapers. Here's a few examples of what you could create using this API:
- A downloader for your newspapers: auto-sync your files to your device
- Make a Flash widget, displaying your favorite books
- A book search engine and downloader for your favorite e-book reader
- A book recommendation system for your website
- etc...
- initializing: test the login/password, get the list of the formats available
- subscription: display the subscriptions for a user (RSS feeds, newspapers etc...)
- search: display the list of books available for any given keyword
- similar: display a list of books that are considered similar
- recommendation: display a random list of featured books if you're not logged in, otherwise, it'll display personal recommendations
- favorites: display the list of favorite books for a user
- history: display previously downloaded books for a user
Basic
All of the actions available use the same URL: http://www.feedbooks.com/newsstand/action/
Some of these actions require a login/password, and for all of them, it's recommended to provide this information.
For security reasons, instead of a plain text password, you must provide a MD5 hash of the password (there's many examples and libraries available for this). For the actions where the login/password are required, there's a status message that will display "OK" or "Login Error".
For example if your login is "user" and your password is "test", you'll call the initialize action this way:
http://www.feedbooks.com/newsstand/initializing?user=user&password=098f6bcd4621d373cade4e832627b4f6
All of our actions will return an XML file, that you can parse using any standard XML parser.
Some of these actions require a login/password, and for all of them, it's recommended to provide this information.
For security reasons, instead of a plain text password, you must provide a MD5 hash of the password (there's many examples and libraries available for this). For the actions where the login/password are required, there's a status message that will display "OK" or "Login Error".
For example if your login is "user" and your password is "test", you'll call the initialize action this way:
http://www.feedbooks.com/newsstand/initializing?user=user&password=098f6bcd4621d373cade4e832627b4f6
All of our actions will return an XML file, that you can parse using any standard XML parser.
Initializing
URL: http://www.feedbooks.com/newsstand/initializing
Login: Not required, but applications will usually use this action to check if the login/password are OK.
Example: XML file
Description: Very useful action. If you'd like to create a "future proof" application, you need to call this action first. If Feedbooks ever add another file format in the future, we'll also list it here. With this action, you can get all of the formats available and therefore, parse the right fields in the other actions and also download the files with the right file extension. For example, with A4 PDF files, you'll notice that the extension is .pdf and that the XML tag is a4.
The status field will display "OK" if you provided the right login/password. Otherwise, you'll get "Login Error"
Login: Not required, but applications will usually use this action to check if the login/password are OK.
Example: XML file
Description: Very useful action. If you'd like to create a "future proof" application, you need to call this action first. If Feedbooks ever add another file format in the future, we'll also list it here. With this action, you can get all of the formats available and therefore, parse the right fields in the other actions and also download the files with the right file extension. For example, with A4 PDF files, you'll notice that the extension is .pdf and that the XML tag is a4.
The status field will display "OK" if you provided the right login/password. Otherwise, you'll get "Login Error"
Subscription
URL: http://www.feedbooks.com/newsstand/subscription
Login: Required.
Example: XML file
Description: Core feature for the news section. You'll find here all of your subscriptions.
In order to use this action, you need a login/password (if it's missing or incorrect, the status tag will display an error message).
For each subscription, you get:
Login: Required.
Example: XML file
Description: Core feature for the news section. You'll find here all of your subscriptions.
In order to use this action, you need a login/password (if it's missing or incorrect, the status tag will display an error message).
For each subscription, you get:
- template: The template is the output format (a4, epub etc...). You'll find them listed under tag in the initializing action.
- id: A unique id, useful if you need to identify these items.
- type: Type of content: RSS, sudoku, newspaper etc...
- title: Name of the subscription.
- url: Where you can grab the file.
Search
URL: http://www.feedbooks.com/newsstand/search/keyword
Login: Not required. Required if you'd like to use a custom template or to log your download.
Example: XML file
Description: Search through the public domain books available on Feedbooks. The example is quite explicit. I highly recommend reading how you can make an advanced query. Make sure that you're using the initializing action first, if you want to make a fully flexible system, that will support every formats available.
Login: Not required. Required if you'd like to use a custom template or to log your download.
Example: XML file
Description: Search through the public domain books available on Feedbooks. The example is quite explicit. I highly recommend reading how you can make an advanced query. Make sure that you're using the initializing action first, if you want to make a fully flexible system, that will support every formats available.
Similar
URL: http://www.feedbooks.com/newsstand/similar/id
Login: Not required. Required if you'd like to use a custom template or to log your download.
Example: XML file
Description: You'll never use this action first, because you need the id of another book before asking for similar books. Once you've made a search or browsed through your history/favorites/recommendations, use this action to get similar books. Make sure that you're using the initializing action first, if you want to make a fully flexible system, that will support every formats available.
Login: Not required. Required if you'd like to use a custom template or to log your download.
Example: XML file
Description: You'll never use this action first, because you need the id of another book before asking for similar books. Once you've made a search or browsed through your history/favorites/recommendations, use this action to get similar books. Make sure that you're using the initializing action first, if you want to make a fully flexible system, that will support every formats available.
Recommendation
URL: http://www.feedbooks.com/newsstand/recommendation
Login: Not required. Required if you'd like to use a custom template, log your download or if you want personal recommendations instead of featured books.
Example: XML file
Description: Very interesting feature if you're logged in: Feedbooks will list books that should suit you the best, using both your favorites and previous downloads. Make sure that you're using the initializing action first, if you want to make a fully flexible system, that will support every formats available.
Login: Not required. Required if you'd like to use a custom template, log your download or if you want personal recommendations instead of featured books.
Example: XML file
Description: Very interesting feature if you're logged in: Feedbooks will list books that should suit you the best, using both your favorites and previous downloads. Make sure that you're using the initializing action first, if you want to make a fully flexible system, that will support every formats available.
Favorites
URL: http://www.feedbooks.com/newsstand/favorites
Login: Required.
Example: XML file
Description: Display the books that you've added into your favorites on the website. Make sure that you're using the initializing action first, if you want to make a fully flexible system, that will support every formats available.
Login: Required.
Example: XML file
Description: Display the books that you've added into your favorites on the website. Make sure that you're using the initializing action first, if you want to make a fully flexible system, that will support every formats available.
History
URL: http://www.feedbooks.com/newsstand/history
Login: Required.
Example: XML file
Description: Display the books that you've previously downloaded. Make sure that you're using the initializing action first, if you want to make a fully flexible system, that will support every formats available.
Login: Required.
Example: XML file
Description: Display the books that you've previously downloaded. Make sure that you're using the initializing action first, if you want to make a fully flexible system, that will support every formats available.
