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FBML Essentials
stoolpigeon writes "Facebook became the largest worldwide social site in the middle of last year. If their current pace holds they will pass MySpace as number one in the US some time next year. Those numbers have led a number of people to strike out and develop Facebook applications, hoping to grab a piece of that huge audience. One aspect of writing such applications is knowing Facebook Markup Language, which has been described as the icing on the Facebook API cake. FBML Essentials aims to be the resource that provides hopeful application writers with what they need to use FBML successfully." Keep reading for the rest of JR's review.
FBML Essentials
author
Jesse Stay
pages
185
publisher
O'Reilly Media, Inc.
rating
8/10
reviewer
JR Peck
ISBN
978-0-596-51918-6
summary
Facebook Markup Language Fundamentals
FBML Essentials is a slim little volume in the world of massive technical books. The author, Jesse Stay has accomplished something many projects and authors can't seem to avoid, scope creep. This little book stays right on target providing FBML documentation with a few extras as book-ends. One will not be forced to spend half their time with the book skimming over information not directly related to the topic at hand.
The reference portion of the book, as I said, is the bulk of this guide. This section does provide more thorough information than what one would find at the FBML tag section of the Facebook developer wiki. (Which sometimes holds contradicting information for the use of some tags.) There is not only a brief explanation and example but more detailed coverage of options and ramifications. Tags are also grouped in a way that takes into account functionality and what a developer may want to do. This means that while it might not be a thrilling way to go about it, one could read through the reference material in a topical manner while learning how to use FBML in applications.
The first two chapters, before the reference section begins, introduce Facebook applications, walk the reader through prerequisites for development and html considerations within the Facebook environment. This book assumes a solid understanding of markup and specifically html. There is an extremely brief treatment of hosting and general architecture of the Facebook platform.
The introductory material also steps through creating an application with nothing more than FBML. I thought that this was interesting because it means that it is possible to develop and launch an application rather quickly as there is nothing required beyond what is in this guide. This is backed up with an introduction to the FBML Test Console, a tool that allows developers to check their markup without requiring a server.
The last chapter after the reference is a quick introduction to Facebook Java Script. FBJS is a limited form of javascript and Stay does not spend much time with it. There is a quick list of methods, listeners and dialogs with a small amount of illustration on how they might be used as a whole. There are not examples given for each.
There isn't a whole lot here and that ought to be encouraging to anyone who would want to write a Facebook application but doesn't want to invest a huge amount of time. Stay gives an example of building a simple application using nothing more than FBML. It's nice to know that such simple functionality can provide one with an entre into a huge community of potential users. I am also glad that Stay was able to resist the urge to start pulling in every possible aspect of development for Facebook. Instead of a bloated guide the result is a compact and efficient guide to FBML, keeping costs down and avoiding wasted time trying to find what the reader needs.
The index is solid and I highly recommend this handy reference to anyone doing Facebook application development. Of course the use here is limited to Facebook and as they are constantly developing and changing the product, this reference has a definite shelf life. (Though I don't know exactly what that might be.) So this is not a timeless or ground breaking title, but is extremely practical right now.
You can purchase FBML Essentials from amazon.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews — to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
The reference portion of the book, as I said, is the bulk of this guide. This section does provide more thorough information than what one would find at the FBML tag section of the Facebook developer wiki. (Which sometimes holds contradicting information for the use of some tags.) There is not only a brief explanation and example but more detailed coverage of options and ramifications. Tags are also grouped in a way that takes into account functionality and what a developer may want to do. This means that while it might not be a thrilling way to go about it, one could read through the reference material in a topical manner while learning how to use FBML in applications.
The first two chapters, before the reference section begins, introduce Facebook applications, walk the reader through prerequisites for development and html considerations within the Facebook environment. This book assumes a solid understanding of markup and specifically html. There is an extremely brief treatment of hosting and general architecture of the Facebook platform.
The introductory material also steps through creating an application with nothing more than FBML. I thought that this was interesting because it means that it is possible to develop and launch an application rather quickly as there is nothing required beyond what is in this guide. This is backed up with an introduction to the FBML Test Console, a tool that allows developers to check their markup without requiring a server.
The last chapter after the reference is a quick introduction to Facebook Java Script. FBJS is a limited form of javascript and Stay does not spend much time with it. There is a quick list of methods, listeners and dialogs with a small amount of illustration on how they might be used as a whole. There are not examples given for each.
There isn't a whole lot here and that ought to be encouraging to anyone who would want to write a Facebook application but doesn't want to invest a huge amount of time. Stay gives an example of building a simple application using nothing more than FBML. It's nice to know that such simple functionality can provide one with an entre into a huge community of potential users. I am also glad that Stay was able to resist the urge to start pulling in every possible aspect of development for Facebook. Instead of a bloated guide the result is a compact and efficient guide to FBML, keeping costs down and avoiding wasted time trying to find what the reader needs.
The index is solid and I highly recommend this handy reference to anyone doing Facebook application development. Of course the use here is limited to Facebook and as they are constantly developing and changing the product, this reference has a definite shelf life. (Though I don't know exactly what that might be.) So this is not a timeless or ground breaking title, but is extremely practical right now.
You can purchase FBML Essentials from amazon.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews — to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
A free excerpt:
http://twitter.com/onion2k
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Using the instructions here:
http://developers.facebook.com/get_started.php
Can I help you?
The first time I heard 'facebook' I thought of type-A jocks and stuck-up 'faces' at college. And myspace is the same thing but for a younger set - airhead teenagers and their fanboi's (as well as the younger set of jocks and 'faces')
Additionally, the code on the VERY few myspace pages I have had the misfortune to have accessed proves that *no one* associated with myspace, either as a user or developer/admin, has ANY clue how to put together an html page that isn't painful to look at.
The author, Jesse Stay has accomplished something many projects and authors can't seem to avoid, scope creep.
I'm not sure that scope creep is a praiseworthy accomplishment.
'Loose' is when your pants are three sizes too big. 'Lose' is when you misuse 'loose'.
Or at least Butchie...
*snicker*
A Human Right
Writing a few lines of a data markup language does not make you a programmer , you have not "developed" anything and hence what you have written is not an "application". At best its a description of functionality but it is NOT the implementation of it which is what the word "develop" in the programming sense means. FBJS may well be a programing language (albeit a noddy one) but FBML is not and I get a teensy bit tired of idiots people pretending they're some amazing app developer because they can grasp how to use *ML. Lets get this straight - a friggin chimp could code in a markup language given 2 hours training.
Social networking is right up there with the term "Web 2.0" on the list of things I despise.
We need website specific programming languages now?
What is this world coming to!?
Note to developers: It appears that if you make your application as silly and insanely annoying as humanly possible, people will use it and continuously sent me messages with it. While you might make money doing this, I have spoken to God and you will in fact be going to hell.
You know, I asked god the exact same question and got his reply on video.
I guess God can be annoying too...
...that allows users to mod comments on their walls.
Jon wrote at 12:33pm (Score: 3, Insightful)
The rumors are true. I come home on Thursday!
Wall-to-Wall - Write on Jon's Wall
Jimmy wrote at 10:39am (Score:-1, redundant)
You shouldn't design dumb facebook applications, I hate people like you that fill the world with your garbage.
Wall-to-Wall - Write on Jimmy's Wall
It's just going to be outdated the moment it comes off the press, considering Facebook "developers" like to change their API randomly, often, and without notice.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
I was reading the summary and became confused after the 1st 2 sentences:
Facebook became the largest worldwide social site in the middle of last year.
If their current pace holds they will pass MySpace as number one in the US some time next year.
If they became the largest "worldwide" social site sometime last year, I assume that means they became the #1 social site last year.
The following sentence states they'll pass MySpace some time next year... The only reasoning I can come up with is that MySpace isn't considered a "social site", or maybe they're just not part of this "world".
HD Trailers
I don't know whether it's me alone but I have actively resisted and will continue to resist putting myself on Facebook.
Their user agreement is not something I would like to adhere to. I also look at it as a platform for teenagers yet I am well beyond those years.
FBML is not called Shark Sandwich. The review would be easier.
quis custodiet ipsos custodes
along with Twitter, Myspace, blogging (as a personal, not project, broadcasting tool), etc.
Anyone who is passionate about using/doing any of these tools is automatically a douche. Never met any exceptions. This is logical: no-one with sufficient humility to think their life is not worth broadcasting would care much for these tools. And anyone without that humility has sufficient ego that they, in fact, could not give two shits about you, and would shaft you the first time it was necessary to advance themselves.
I mean, for fuck's sake, you want to communicate your life to your friends but you don't have the time to communicate personally with them? Is that really how much a friend is worth to you? How do you get off fooling these people into hanging on your every word?
As if that wasn't enough, if you accept Facebook's privacy policy, you're the type to tolerate all sorts of shit which ultimately makes you to blame for the gradual erosion of individual liberties. Your desire to put convenience over a sensible policy of personal information dissemination makes you a useful idiot of every authoritarian state.
In summary: Avoid at all costs.
Umm no...
US!=World
By the same logic, China is the biggest country in the World, so why aren't there more chinese that Americans in the US?
No.
MySpace has more US users.
Facebook has more users worldwide.
when the whole social networking thing crashes and burns because it can't really make money.
O'Reilly have been cutting jobs recently (Slashdot passim).
Perhaps their decline is due to things like this - a subject they wouldn't have touched with somebody else's bargepole a few years ago.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
I've heard rumors that the US isn't the world. Shhh. Don't tell anybody.
With how often Facebook changes their API and makes subtle, app-breaking changes to how existing stuff operates, you won't really be able to rely on anything in a published book.
10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
Yes, but you know, I'll be using my heaping piles of cash to make sure *YOU* go with me... so I can continue to bombard you with messages from various applications... because that will be HELL for you.
2 cents,
QueenB.
HDGary secures my bank
I'll be the first to say that almost all facebook apps are pretty useless. Probably 95% are a twist on the ididotic "poke" concept.
[full disclosure: start shameless self-promotion]
That's why I built a decent facebook app. You can see it at http://apps.facebook.com/birthdayfund/ (or http://www.thebirthdayfund.com/). :-)
Basically it just facilitates creating a birthday fund for yourself or for someone else, so instead of getting a few "meh" gifts, you can get whatever you really want. Everybody wins.
Possibly like me or tons of slashdot readers you're a developer with big or cool ideas. Best of luck to you, and if you want to help someone out with theirs, please check out the app on facebook and let me know what you think.
/* TAANSTAFL */
Ok. Time to start doing something else for a living. This Internet thing has officially jumped the shark.
It used to be that people made their own web pages, and if they were so-inclined and had their own server, a nice document template, some dynamic stuff, whatever.
Now it's this crap. What's sad is that this stuff really adds no particular value to people who had their own webpages.
It's like we're back to AOL and Compuserve all of a sudden. WTF, over?
That was the lamest reply ever. Seriously, that was just fucking stupid. Next time just keep quiet.
According to Alexa, Facebook passed Myspace last April. Myspace is in decline; they're now about 2x the reach of AOL, and dropping.
Wow. That is the only nice looking myspace page I've ever seen.
... but I will happily contribute £20 towards any project that results in a Facebook app that will sync my friend's contact details to my Nokia phone. Or alternatively to Outlook - I can sync to my phone from that already.
Aren't people sick of having to actually TELL their friends when they get a new phone number? Numbers should be superfluous, and with it's fairly rich security settings Facebook is well placed to become the DNS of the telephone system.
I found that this book offers nothing that isn't available for free at developers.facebook.com. Moreover, it is full of already obsolete information that can lead you on wild goose chases looking for features that have been altered or deprecated.
Even Facebook's own documentation is shoddy. Dead-tree edition of information on a trendy, half-assed technology? Good luck with that.
Thank god for safaribooksonline.
A facebook application can not be made with FBML alone.
Facebook apps reside on the *developer's server*. Unless your "application" consists solely of what they refer to as a "canvas page", you must use more than FBML. If you want it to integrate with the user's profile, interact with their friends list or be visible on their wall, FBML is not enough.
In addition to FBML and FBJS are the Facebook API and Facebook Query Language (FQL or "fecal" as l like to call it). To develop a Facebook application you need to build a web app that can respond to requests from Facebook's servers with API calls. That means actual proramming, coded by the app creator and deployed on their own server, not just posting some mark-up and JavaScript cut-and-pastes.
Incidentally, all this information is current as of about a month ago, so there is a high likelihood that it has already been deprecated.
Regardless, while FBML may not be "programming", neither are Facebook apps "a few lines of a data markup language". I'll grant that the title of this silly book may make it seem that way.