Essential Facebook development: build successful applications for the Facebook platform

✍ Scribed by Maver, John;Popp, Cappy

• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
• Year: 2009;2010
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 481
• Series: Developer's library
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

"What sets this title apart is the authors' deep insight of how to leverage the Facebook API to create wildly successful applications. They even provide instructions of how to a/b test, track, and analyze metrics to increase the exposure and engagement of your applications. Their knowledge is practical and after putting their techniques to use, my applications have achieved better results."-Joseph Annuzzi, Jr., App Architect, PeerDynamic.comWith more than 250 million active users, Facebook is the world's #1 social networking platform. But developing successful Facebook applications presents unique challenges, both technical and nontechnical. Now, two of the world's most experienced Facebook developers show you exactly how to meet those challenges.Essential Facebook Developmentoffers insider guidance and up-to-the-minute best practices for the entire application lifecycle: design, coding, testing, distribution, post-launch monitoring, metrics, and even application marketing. Using extensive real-world examples, John Maver and Cappy Popp reveal why some Facebook applications succeed brilliantly while others fail. Next, they walk through building a complete application using every major component of the Facebook platform. Maver and Popp thoroughly cover Facebook's most important new features, including Facebook Connect, and provide extensive information available nowhere else-from measuring application success to monetization. Coverage includes
Thorough introductions to Facebook's current architecture, integration points, and development technologies Discussion of successful Facebook applications-and what makes them successful What every developer must know about Facebook's Terms of Service Creating an effective application infrastructure Creating canvas pages with FBML and IFrames Adding support for profiles, application tabs, and messaging Incorporating JavaScript into Facebook applications with FBJS Integrating Facebook into external sites with Facebook Connect and the Facebook JavaScript Client Library Debugging techniques for Facebook applications Spreading, monitoring, and tuning applications

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Table of Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 17
Acknowledgments......Page 19
About the Authors......Page 20
Part I: Introduction to Facebook Applications......Page 22
1 Facebook Applications: The Basics......Page 24
Environment and Integration Points......Page 25
Extending Facebook......Page 37
Facebook Platform Core Components......Page 39
Summary......Page 40
Begin with a Plan......Page 42
Facebook’s Guiding Principles......Page 44
Examples of Great Applications......Page 47
Summary......Page 50
Facebook’s Internal Servers......Page 52
Facebook’s External REST Interface......Page 54
Overview of the Facebook API......Page 56
Facebook Mobile Support......Page 61
Library Support......Page 63
Application Architecture......Page 64
Summary......Page 67
Facebook Provided Tools......Page 70
Browser Debugging Tools......Page 81
Summary......Page 87
Facebook Terms of Service......Page 90
Facebook Application Programs......Page 98
Summary......Page 101
Part II: Developing Applications......Page 102
Setting Up the Environment......Page 104
Using the Developer Application......Page 105
Creating the Application Skeleton......Page 116
Application Authorization......Page 119
Summary......Page 127
Choosing Between an FBML and IFrame Canvas......Page 128
Preparing the Compliments Canvas Pages......Page 130
Creating the Compliments FBML Canvas Page......Page 135
Creating the Compliments IFrame Canvas Page......Page 142
Using Tabs for Multiple Pages......Page 150
Summary......Page 152
Profile Boxes......Page 154
Application Tabs......Page 165
Application Info Sections......Page 166
Working with Facebook’s Caching......Page 172
Summary......Page 175
Using Feed Forms and Templates......Page 176
Using the Facebook API......Page 198
Sandbox Mode and Testing Feed Stories......Page 211
Summary......Page 212
Getting to the Heart of Feed: The Publisher......Page 214
Notifications......Page 228
Application Email......Page 234
Requests......Page 242
Application Messaging and Allocations......Page 251
Facebook Sharing......Page 257
Summary......Page 262
Allowing External JavaScript in Facebook......Page 264
Sandboxing......Page 265
Basic FBJS......Page 269
Mock AJAX......Page 283
Advanced FBJS......Page 290
Using Flash......Page 315
Summary......Page 332
Part III: Integrating Facebook into an External Website......Page 334
12 Facebook JavaScript Client Library......Page 336
Cross-Domain Communication......Page 337
Using the Library......Page 338
Key Library Classes......Page 344
Updating Compliments’ IFrame Page......Page 359
Summary......Page 363
Facebook Connect Features......Page 364
Setting Up Facebook Connect......Page 369
User Authentication......Page 372
Friend Linking......Page 379
Widgets......Page 382
Summary......Page 386
Part IV: Post Launch......Page 388
Metrics: Why They Matter......Page 390
Metrics Dashboards......Page 396
Summary......Page 405
Spreading Your Application......Page 406
Monetizing Your Application......Page 413
Summary......Page 417
Batching API Calls......Page 420
FQL......Page 422
Working with Multiple Developers......Page 431
Summary......Page 437
Part V: Appendices......Page 440
Links......Page 442
Stream......Page 444
Cookies......Page 445
IFrame URL......Page 446
Video Upload......Page 447
A......Page 448
B......Page 451
C......Page 452
E......Page 455
F......Page 456
G......Page 460
I......Page 461
J......Page 462
K–L......Page 463
M......Page 465
O......Page 466
P......Page 467
Q–R......Page 469
S......Page 470
T......Page 472
U......Page 474
W......Page 475
X–Y–Z......Page 476