Beta XML Interface

Request amendments or pass comments on this free service.
User avatar
Carl Hibbard
Posts: 6028
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:05 pm
Location: Evesham

Beta XML Interface

Post by Carl Hibbard » Sun Jun 21, 2009 2:20 pm

A beta version of an XML interface to the Online Database is now available - testers are now welcomed (with all support, both comments and general Q&A) needing to be directed via this forum

At the moment documentation is limited so you really do need to know what you are doing programming wise in this release

Users interested should PM me in the first instance :!:
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

User avatar
John Upham
Posts: 7179
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:29 am
Location: Cove, Hampshire, England.
Contact:

Re: Beta XML Interface

Post by John Upham » Sun Jun 21, 2009 2:36 pm

Carl,
Is this the one discussed sometime ago?

John
Last edited by Carl Hibbard on Sun Jun 21, 2009 2:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Developer to be announced
British Chess News : britishchessnews.com
Twitter: @BritishChess
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/britishchess :D

User avatar
Carl Hibbard
Posts: 6028
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:05 pm
Location: Evesham

Re: Beta XML Interface

Post by Carl Hibbard » Sun Jun 21, 2009 2:54 pm

It has been developed by a third party for which I am very happy - the developer wishes (for his own reasons) to remain in the background for now

I have emailed you some client samples John to do some initial testing

Support initially is via me or here :wink:
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

User avatar
Carl Hibbard
Posts: 6028
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:05 pm
Location: Evesham

Re: Beta XML Interface

Post by Carl Hibbard » Sun Jun 21, 2009 5:51 pm

Documentation to go with the interface is enclosed
Attachments
GradeDataAPI03.pdf
(216.05 KiB) Downloaded 599 times
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

User avatar
Carl Hibbard
Posts: 6028
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:05 pm
Location: Evesham

Re: Beta XML Interface

Post by Carl Hibbard » Sun Jun 21, 2009 10:39 pm

The client sample only works with PHP5 so extra work is going to be needed for earlier versions!
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

User avatar
Carl Hibbard
Posts: 6028
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:05 pm
Location: Evesham

Re: Beta XML Interface

Post by Carl Hibbard » Sun Jun 21, 2009 11:26 pm

To quote the ECF official line on this one...

The only reservation I would make is that the existing site does carry the ECF copyright notice, and I would suggest that anyone given access to the API is asked to similarly indicate the Federation's copyright in the data should they republish it on their own web sites or otherwise.
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

User avatar
Carl Hibbard
Posts: 6028
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:05 pm
Location: Evesham

Re: Beta XML Interface

Post by Carl Hibbard » Sun Jun 21, 2009 11:32 pm

Carl Hibbard wrote:To quote the ECF official line on this one...

The only reservation I would make is that the existing site does carry the ECF copyright notice, and I would suggest that anyone given access to the API is asked to similarly indicate the Federation's copyright in the data should they republish it on their own web sites or otherwise.
The above will be clearly enforced I have to say
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

Alex Holowczak
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:18 pm
Location: Oldbury, Worcestershire
Contact:

Re: Beta XML Interface

Post by Alex Holowczak » Mon Jun 22, 2009 1:02 pm

What exactly does the copyright cover?

User avatar
Carl Hibbard
Posts: 6028
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:05 pm
Location: Evesham

Re: Beta XML Interface

Post by Carl Hibbard » Mon Jun 22, 2009 1:10 pm

Alex Holowczak wrote:What exactly does the copyright cover?
To quote the PDF documentation:-

4.2 Data Copyright
The data retrieved via this interface is © Copyright English Chess Federation. Use and redistribution
are subject to terms and conditions available from the ECF Web site.


How that stand's up isn't all that clear to be honest but is that sufficient?
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

Alex Holowczak
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:18 pm
Location: Oldbury, Worcestershire
Contact:

Re: Beta XML Interface

Post by Alex Holowczak » Mon Jun 22, 2009 1:41 pm

Maybe I don't understand how this new interface works. How does it vary from the current grading interface?

User avatar
Carl Hibbard
Posts: 6028
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:05 pm
Location: Evesham

Re: Beta XML Interface

Post by Carl Hibbard » Mon Jun 22, 2009 2:16 pm

Alex Holowczak wrote:Maybe I don't understand how this new interface works. How does it vary from the current grading interface?
It allows remote web sites to "hook into" the data and display that information on their own site without appearing as if it came from the actual real live grading site

Doing it that way allows you to make the data appear as if it came from your own web site

Make sense?
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

Alex Holowczak
Posts: 9085
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:18 pm
Location: Oldbury, Worcestershire
Contact:

Re: Beta XML Interface

Post by Alex Holowczak » Mon Jun 22, 2009 2:22 pm

Carl Hibbard wrote:
Alex Holowczak wrote:Maybe I don't understand how this new interface works. How does it vary from the current grading interface?
It allows remote web sites to "hook into" the data and display that information on their own site without appearing as if it came from the actual real live grading site

Doing it that way allows you to make the data appear as if it came from your own web site

Make sense?
Yes, I see. Thanks.

Brent Smith
Posts: 36
Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2008 10:58 pm
Location: Reading
Contact:

Re: Beta XML Interface

Post by Brent Smith » Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:37 am

Carl Hibbard wrote:The client sample only works with PHP5 so extra work is going to be needed for earlier versions!
I've downloaded the software and documentation and tried running the sample SOAP (using PHP5) version. No luck I'm afraid as my hosting provider (supanames.net) doesn't support the SoapClient class as part of its PHP offering :( . I don't know if other providers will be the same ? Has anyone else tried it out? Does anyone used SoapClient from an available-to-the-public hosting provider (as opposed to a company server)? I could install the SOAP extension as part of PHP5 on my own PC (the php.net documentation implies that SOAP is not part of the standard build), but if I can't make it work in production, I can't see much point.

I don't give up that easy however, so its on to the JavaScript / AJAX version, and possibly working out the underlying XML over HTTP (which I presume the SOAP interface is just a wrapper for). Note to self: must get this done before new grading list is published.

User avatar
John Upham
Posts: 7179
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:29 am
Location: Cove, Hampshire, England.
Contact:

Re: Beta XML Interface

Post by John Upham » Mon Jul 06, 2009 9:50 am

Carl Hibbard wrote: The above will be clearly enforced I have to say
Carl,

is this an example :

http://www.dulwichchessclub.org.uk/gradings.php

I didn't realise Blue Apricot hosted the Dulwich site. :?
British Chess News : britishchessnews.com
Twitter: @BritishChess
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/britishchess :D

User avatar
Carl Hibbard
Posts: 6028
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:05 pm
Location: Evesham

Re: Beta XML Interface

Post by Carl Hibbard » Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:15 am

John Upham wrote:
Carl Hibbard wrote: The above will be clearly enforced I have to say
Carl,

is this an example :

http://www.dulwichchessclub.org.uk/gradings.php

I didn't realise Blue Apricot hosted the Dulwich site. :?
Ah yes an IFrame - there is a much "thinner" version people can use as per the West Nottingham site

http://www.westnottinghamchess.org/04_05.htm
Last edited by Carl Hibbard on Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: No copyright on that at all I see :(
Cheers
Carl Hibbard

Locked