The API key uniquely identifies your application and is sent on every request made to the Facebook API server. This includes
the initial user redirect to the Facebook login page, and subsequent requests to obtain Facebook information related to that
The API currently exchanges data over a REST-based protocol. Developer applications send text data in a POST request to the
Facebook API server, and the server responds with data according to a proprietary XML schema. Developers may use any
programming language to deliver these POST requests and read the responses, though we may provide sample client libraries
What is REST?
REST stands for Representational State Transfer. The Facebook API currently supports a REST based protocol; to learn more
1. Product Directory
2. About
3. Left Nav
4. Facebook Canvas Pages
a. Home
b. User Dashboard
c. Settings
5. Profile
a. Profile Box
b. Profile Action Links
6. Privacy Settings
7. News Feed
8. Alerts
9. Message Attachments
10.Requests
Below you will see all these various components as they are applied to our own Photos
Application. It should be noted that none of these pages are mandatory but the more you
include in your application the richer the experience becomes (for example, no one's going to
install your app called "Lefty" that is only a left nav link)
Product Directory
Many users may find your application by browsing the Facebook Application Directory. This
is where beautiful imagery and concise, descriptive text pay off.
About
The about page tells users about the application and is accessed from the Facebook
Application Directory. It should inspire users to install the application.
Left Nav
Applications can have their icon and name added to the left hand Facebook navigation. This
will link to that application's homepage.
Profile Box
The profile box is usually the place to show the most recently updated information or the
most recent actions of the user. This information should reflect how the user would want to
represent their identity through your application on their profile.
Profile Action Links
Under a user's photo in their profile you can display a quick link to more info about that
user's presence within your application. You can install these links even for users who haven't
installed your application; have added your application (or, in the case of the profile of a user
who has added your application, it will show up for all viewers).
Privacy Settings
Users will be able to set who can see your application's profile box from Facebook's privacy
page. Any other privacy settings you wish to incorporate should be built into your
application's privacy/settings page.
News Feed
Applications can access News Feed and post stories to it. Each user has a maximum number
of News Feed stories that they can see from all applications. Once that maximum is reached
they will no longer see any more application stories during that sweep. For example, the
Photos application publishes News Feed stories about photos your friends have uploaded
recently.
Alerts
Applications can send notifications to a user through email. The user of the application who
triggers this action must approve of the email, and users can opt out of receiving the email for
any application that has ever sent them emails.
Message Attachments
Applications can create attachments that appear in a dropdown menu on the message
composer. When the user selects that action, content is fetched and placed inside an
attachment box below the message text in the composer.
Requests
Applications can create requests that show up at the top right of a user's homepage. These
requests are usually initiated by a user's friend and often require the user to take some form of
action. An example of this in the Photos application is a photo tag request confirmation.
Step-by-step Guide to Creating an
Application
Contents
1. Introduction
7. Downloads
Introduction
This tutorial describes how we created a platform application called 'tutorialapp' that you can use as
a template when creating your own platform app. The tutorial assumes that you have access to a
follow this link it will ask you to login to Facebook and add the 'tutorialapp' application. You can get
access to a server like this from a variety of hosting companies for just a few dollars a month.
When you create your own app, you will using a different application name and a different server.
We have highlighted these things that will be different for your application.
4. A link to 'Developer' should appear in the left nav on Facebook now. Go to the Developer
App.
1. Application Name: for our app, we put 'Tutorial Application' - you should put in a
different name.
3. Click on the Optional Fields link - this will bring up more options.
4. Support E-mail: your Facebook contact email may be filled in automatically, but
you might not want to give out your personal email to everyone who adds your
app! You do have to put a valid email address that you can check, however.
you should put something DIFFERENT - in particular, you should put the url of the
9. Can your application be added to Facebook: set to 'yes' - this will bring up
more options.
page url.
8. Go the the 'My Applications' page and check that your application was created. There are
a couple ways to get here depending on where you are in the Developer application.
9. Copy the latest version of the php5 client library into your application's directory on the
server.