Facebook PHP Tutorial
This tutorial will cover the basics of using the Facebook PHP library and how to get
your application started, including:
1. Installing The Facebook Developer Application
2. Downloading The Facebook PHP Client Library
3. Creating Your Application
4. Hello Facebook! Example
5. FBML - Facebook Markup Language
6. Using the Facebook API
The first thing you need of course is a Facebook account. You can sign up for
Facebook at
www.facebook.com. Once you have your account you’ll need to install
the Facebook developer application. This little tool will allow you to generate your
application profile and get an API key (more on that later). Once you’ve logged into
Facebook visit:
www.facebook.com/developers/ or click below to install the
developer application:
Add The Facebook Developer Application.
PHP Facebook API Client Library
Facebook has created a nice php library that allows you to use their API without
writing a lot of extra code. You can grab the PHP version of the library at
developers.facebook.com/resources.php. Download the ‘PHP (4 and 5) Client
Library’.
Once you’ve downloaded the library unzip it into a folder that is accessible by your
PHP scripts. So you would have something like /php_include_directory/facebook/ and
in that folder you will have the entire Facebook PHP Client Library (3 folders: client,
footprints, php4client). We will be using PHP5 so these examples will be using the
“client” directory of the library. The footprints folder is an example application.
Creating Your Application Profile And API Key
Facebook requires that you register each application you make. Once you’ve logged
into Facebook and installed the developer application go to the developer panel (or
click here). Inside the developer application click “Set Up New Application”.
Choose a name for your application. This is important because it’s what users will
see when they are browsing the application directory. Currently the name field is the
only thing used when searching for applications. So it’s doubly important at this
point.
Click on “Optional Fields”. Then fill out the Callback Url with the location of your
script. This is the public URL on your webserver where the Facebook application will
be.
Next fill out the “Canvas Page URL”. This is your application URL within
Facebook. For example if the application was called “Makebeta Is Cool” then the
application URL could be: “makebeta” which would make the full URL:
http://apps.facebook.com/makebeta/.
Check Yes for Can your application to be added on Facebook?
You should check the Developer Mode checkbox so that no one can add your
application until you are done working on it.
Under Integration Points fill out Side Nav URL with the full Canvas Page URL. In
the example above it would be
http://apps.facebook.com/makebeta/. This allows users
to add your application to their Facebook left side bar navigation.
All of these settings can be changed after the application has been created. But
it’s a good idea not to change the Canvas Page URL or Name once you have users
that have installed your application.
Further Reading: Starting your First Facebook App: Demystifying Application
Form Field by Field
Get the API Key and Secret. You should now see your application listed with a
unique API Key and Secret code. You’ll use these within your application.
So what happens when a user hits the Canvas Page URL (from the example it would
be:
http://apps.facebook.com/makebeta/)? The require_login() call will produce a
screen like this for the user:
If you change require_login() to require_add() the user will get a page that looks like
this:
After the user logs into or adds the application they will get the canvas page with the
“Hello…” text. It should look something like this:
Facebook Markup Language - FBML
Facebook has provided a bunch of built in tags that will render dynamic data inside
your application. All you have to do is include the tags with the correct parameters. In
the example above the fb:name tag is used to generate the user’s name on the canvas
page. fb:name has a couple of parameters, one of which is uid. In the example above
we set uid = $fb_user which is the unique ID of the current user. There are lots of
FBML tags you can use, check them all out at:
developers.facebook.com/documentation.php?doc=fbml
Facebook API REST-based Interface
The Facebook Client Library provides you with an easy to use wrapper for the
Facebook API REST interface. All of the API calls are available under the $facebook-
>api_client object (after you initiate the $facebook object). Many of the calls will
require that the user has either added or logged into the application. Here’s an
example call that would retrieve the user’s About Me text from their profile:
$fb_user = $facebook->user;
$about = $facebook->api_client->users_getInfo($fb_user,'about_me');
There are a number of API calls, and a list of them can be found here:
developers.facebook.com/documentation.php
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Originally Posted by dot_net_help
