Careful Web

I excited with GData API from Google. I just tried they Python version and it looks KISS.

Google GData API mixes CRUD actions with Atom XML format. This means that all client-server messaging uses Atom feeds as data format. Google guys extended Atom specification with ability to make complex queries and implemented Atom Publishing Protocol for posting data to server.

For example document list, contact list, etc looks like usual Atom feeds. Main Google API enabled services:

• Google Docs;
• Gmail contacts;
• Notebook;
• Blogger;
• Picasa;
• Calendar;
• Base;

Full list is on Google API page.

I checked GData Python API with simple script, see code below:

# Google Docs example
import gdata.docs.service

# authentication
gd_client = gdata.docs.service.DocsService()
gd_client.email = 'username@gmail.com' #change this
gd_client.password = '' #change this
gd_client.source = 'exampleCo-exampleApp-1'
gd_client.ProgrammaticLogin()

# querying full docs list (feed)
feed = gd_client.GetDocumentListFeed()
# selecting first document to work
d = feed.entry[0]
# document properties
print d.title.text # document name
print d.content.src # link to document content (URL)

# for changing document properties we need use atom python module
import atom
# creating new document name
document.title = atom.Title(text='my best friends')

Conclusion: it is really easy to integrate with Google services.

It is simple example of how to upload local file to server with JavaScript and Adobe AIR

Example.

// sample url and file path which we use for upload
var url = "http://img31.picoodle.com/upload.php";
var pictureFile = new air.File('/path/to/local.file');

// creating POST request variables (like in html form fields)
var variables = new air.URLVariables();
variables.op = 'upload';

// set params for http request
var tmpRequest = new air.URLRequest(url);
tmpRequest.method = air.URLRequestMethod.POST;
tmpRequest.contentType = 'multipart/form-data'; // это тип для загрузки файлов
// assigning variables to request
tmpRequest.data = variables;
air.sendToURL(tmpRequest);

// attach events for displaying progress bar and upload complete
pictureFile.addEventListener(air.ProgressEvent.PROGRESS, callback_for_upload_progress);
pictureFile.addEventListener(air.DataEvent.UPLOAD_COMPLETE_DATA, callback_for_upload_finish); 

// doing upload request to server
pictureFile.upload(tmpRequest, 'pic', false);

Interesting thing that I was unable to find event for tracking upload complete in JavaScript docs of AIR. I’ve got it via Flex/AcionScript docs. It is air.DataEvent.UPLOAD_COMPLETE_DATA.

To complete this example I created two sample event handlers for upload progress and complete.

function callback_for_upload_progress(event) { 
    var loaded = event.bytesLoaded; 
    var total = event.bytesTotal; 
    var pct = Math.ceil( ( loaded / total ) * 100 ); 
    air.trace('Uploaded ' + pct.toString() + '%');
}

function callback_for_upload_finish(event) {
    Console.log('File upload complete');
    air.trace(event.data); // output of server response to AIR dev console
}

This example is for devs that have some experience with AIR. Later I’ll write some complete example from scratch. Stay tuned with the AIR tag ;-)