Help with Product API

Hi

I want to learn how to build a XML API Server and have read up on Rest etc but really stuck where to even start and how the query would work.

I have read a lot of stuff online and for simple API queries like sum to numbers I can find but nothing as complex as this using things like Count=3 and ShortDescription=Y.

The bit I am most stuck on taking the URL and making that into the query. Actually getting the data out into the XML should not be so hard.

I dont suppose anyone has done anything like this before and can share some code or examples or seen anything like this in a book or online.

I want to make something like the following:-

http://www.website.com/productxml?dep=1&count=3&Name=Y&ShortDescription=Y

Depending on what people request the output could be different and could contain any of the following:

The following are acceptable field requests:

BrandName
Manufacturer
ManufacturerPartNumber
ModelNumber
Name
Origin
Price
Quality
Stock
ShortDescription
SKU
ThumbnailURL
UPC
Warranty
ProductURL


Many thanks in advance.
Roy

PHP populates URL query strings inside the $_GET array. So, index.php?id=1 will have $_GET['id'] as '1' (note, all values will be string datatype) in index.php. So, the XML API you're making will accept GET queries, and return XML output based on those :).

Hi

How would the query part work for example.

Say I want a default of a maximum 100 results unless Count=250 etc and the customer Posts the following URL

/productxml?dep=1&count=3&Name=Y&ShortDescription=Y

How do you formulate the PHP and MySQL to accept Name=Y so it queries out the Name and if ShortDescription=Y how would this be coded in to pull out it in the results.

Thanks
Roy

Hi

How would the query part work for example.

Say I want a default of a maximum 100 results unless Count=250 etc and the customer Posts the following URL

/productxml.php?dep=1&count=3&Name=Y&ShortDescription=Y

How do you formulate the PHP and MySQL to accept Name=Y so it queries out the Name and if ShortDescription=Y how would this be coded in to pull out it in the results.

Thanks
Roy

Just using your example, that would populate the $_GET array with:

$_GET['dep'] = '1';
$_GET['count'] = '3';
$_GET['name'] = 'Y';
$_GET['shortdescription'] = 'Y';

All accessible inside productxml.php using $_GET['index']. If you're using them in mysql queries, remember to use mysql_real_escape_string() to stop SQL injection.

Hi

How would I go about setting the default Count to say 100 unless the URL contains Count=1000 etc.

Thanks
Roy

Hi

How would I go about setting the default Count to say 100 unless the URL contains Count=1000 etc.

Thanks
Roy

You would check each one isset(), and if isset() returns false, you would produce and error or the default value.