With more than 250,000,000 active users, Facebook is the world's #1 social networking platform. But developing successful Facebook applications presents unique challenges, both technical and nontechnical. Now, two of the world's most experienced Facebook developers show you exactly how to meet those challenges. Essential Facebook Development offers insider guidance and up-to-the-minute best practices for the entire application lifecycle: design, coding, testing, distribution, post-launch monitoring, and metrics-even application marketing.
Using extensive real-world examples, John Maver and Cappy Popp reveal why some Facebook applications succeed brilliantly while others fail. Next, they walk through using every major component of the Facebook platform to build a complete application that has already proven successful in the marketplace. Maver and Popp thoroughly cover Facebook's most important new features, including Profile and Facebook Connect. They also provide extensive information available in no other book-from advanced application tuning guidance to adapting Facebook apps for the hot new Bebo platform.
Whether you're developing your first social networking application or you've been doing it for years, Essential Facebook Development will help you get better results-every step of the way.
Coverage includes
Thorough, up-to-the-minute introductions to Facebook's current architecture, integration points, and development technologies
Successful Facebook applications-and what makes them successful
What every developer must know about Facebook's Terms of Use
Creating effective Facebook application infrastructure, one step at a time
Adding support for profiles, canvas pages, and messaging
Incorporating JavaScript in your Facebook applications with FBJS
Integrating Facebook into external sites with Facebook Connect and Facebook JavaScript Library
Efficiently debugging Facebook applications
Spreading, monitoring, and tuning applications after they're in production
Product Description
"What sets this title apart is the authors' deep insight of how to leverage the Facebook API to create wildly successful applications. They even provide instructions of how to a/b test, track, and analyze metrics to increase the exposure and engagement of your applications. Their knowledge is practical and after putting their techniques to use, my applications have achieved better results."
-Joseph Annuzzi, Jr., App Architect, PeerDynamic.com
With more than 250 million active users, Facebook is the world's #1 social networking platform. But developing successful Facebook applications presents unique challenges, both technical and nontechnical. Now, two of the world's most experienced Facebook developers show you exactly how to meet those challenges. Essential Facebook Development offers insider guidance and up-to-the-minute best practices for the entire application lifecycle: design, coding, testing, distribution, post-launch monitoring, metrics, and even application marketing.
Using extensive real-world examples, John Maver and Cappy Popp reveal why some Facebook applications succeed brilliantly while others fail. Next, they walk through building a complete application using every major component of the Facebook platform. Maver and Popp thoroughly cover Facebook's most important new features, including Facebook Connect, and provide extensive information available nowhere else-from measuring application success to monetization. Coverage includes
Thorough introductions to Facebook's current architecture, integration points, and development technologies
Discussion of successful Facebook applications-and what makes them successful
What every developer must know about Facebook's Terms of Service
Creating an effective application infrastructure
Creating canvas pages with FBML and IFrames
Adding support for profiles, application tabs, and messaging
Incorporating JavaScript into Facebook applications with FBJS
Integrating Facebook into external sites with Facebook Connect and the Facebook JavaScript Client Library
Debugging techniques for Facebook applications
Spreading, monitoring, and tuning applications
Backcover
"What sets this title apart is the authors' deep insight of how to leverage the Facebook API to create wildly successful applications. They even provide instructions of how to a/b test, track, and analyze metrics to increase the exposure and engagement of your applications. Their knowledge is practical and after putting their techniques to use, my applications have achieved better results."
-Joseph Annuzzi, Jr., App Architect, PeerDynamic.com
With more than 250 million active users, Facebook is the world's #1 social networking platform. But developing successful Facebook applications presents unique challenges, both technical and nontechnical. Now, two of the world's most experienced Facebook developers show you exactly how to meet those challenges. Essential Facebook Development offers insider guidance and up-to-the-minute best practices for the entire application lifecycle: design, coding, testing, distribution, post-launch monitoring, metrics, and even application marketing.
Using extensive real-world examples, John Maver and Cappy Popp reveal why some Facebook applications succeed brilliantly while others fail. Next, they walk through building a complete application using every major component of the Facebook platform. Maver and Popp thoroughly cover Facebook's most important new features, including Facebook Connect, and provide extensive information available nowhere else-from measuring application success to monetization. Coverage includes
Thorough introductions to Facebook's current architecture, integration points, and development technologies
Discussion of successful Facebook applications-and what makes them successful
What every developer must know about Facebook's Terms of Service
Creating an effective application infrastructure
Creating canvas pages with FBML and IFrames
Adding support for profiles, application tabs, and messaging
Incorporating JavaScript into Facebook applications with FBJS
Integrating Facebook into external sites with Facebook Connect and the Facebook JavaScript Client Library
Debugging techniques for Facebook applications
Spreading, monitoring, and tuning applications
Preface xvi
Part I: Introduction to Facebook Applications
Chapter 1: Facebook Applications: The Basics 3
Chapter 2: Making Great Applications 21
Chapter 3: Platform Architecture Overview 31
Chapter 4: Platform Developer Tools 49
Chapter 5: Facebook Terms of Service and Application Programs 69
Part II: Developing Applications
Chapter 6: The Basics of Creating Applications 83
Chapter 7: Building the Canvas 107
Chapter 8: Updating the Profile 133
Chapter 9: Feed Stories, Feed Forms, and Templates 155
Chapter 10: Publisher, Notifications, and Requests 193
Chapter 11: FBJS, Mock AJAX, and Flash 243
Part III: Integrating Facebook into an External Website
Chapter 12: Facebook JavaScript Client Library 315
Chapter 13: Facebook Connect 343
Part IV: Post Launch
Chapter 14: Measuring Application Success 369
Chapter 15: Spreading and Monetizing Applications 385
Chapter 16: Improving Application Performance and Workflow 399
Part V: Appendices
Appendix A: Resources 421
Appendix B: Beta Features 423
Index 427
Using extensive real-world examples, John Maver and Cappy Popp reveal why some Facebook applications succeed brilliantly while others fail. Next, they walk through using every major component of the Facebook platform to build a complete application that has already proven successful in the marketplace. Maver and Popp thoroughly cover Facebook's most important new features, including Profile and Facebook Connect. They also provide extensive information available in no other book-from advanced application tuning guidance to adapting Facebook apps for the hot new Bebo platform.
Whether you're developing your first social networking application or you've been doing it for years, Essential Facebook Development will help you get better results-every step of the way.
Coverage includes
Thorough, up-to-the-minute introductions to Facebook's current architecture, integration points, and development technologies
Successful Facebook applications-and what makes them successful
What every developer must know about Facebook's Terms of Use
Creating effective Facebook application infrastructure, one step at a time
Adding support for profiles, canvas pages, and messaging
Incorporating JavaScript in your Facebook applications with FBJS
Integrating Facebook into external sites with Facebook Connect and Facebook JavaScript Library
Efficiently debugging Facebook applications
Spreading, monitoring, and tuning applications after they're in production
Product Description
"What sets this title apart is the authors' deep insight of how to leverage the Facebook API to create wildly successful applications. They even provide instructions of how to a/b test, track, and analyze metrics to increase the exposure and engagement of your applications. Their knowledge is practical and after putting their techniques to use, my applications have achieved better results."
-Joseph Annuzzi, Jr., App Architect, PeerDynamic.com
With more than 250 million active users, Facebook is the world's #1 social networking platform. But developing successful Facebook applications presents unique challenges, both technical and nontechnical. Now, two of the world's most experienced Facebook developers show you exactly how to meet those challenges. Essential Facebook Development offers insider guidance and up-to-the-minute best practices for the entire application lifecycle: design, coding, testing, distribution, post-launch monitoring, metrics, and even application marketing.
Using extensive real-world examples, John Maver and Cappy Popp reveal why some Facebook applications succeed brilliantly while others fail. Next, they walk through building a complete application using every major component of the Facebook platform. Maver and Popp thoroughly cover Facebook's most important new features, including Facebook Connect, and provide extensive information available nowhere else-from measuring application success to monetization. Coverage includes
Thorough introductions to Facebook's current architecture, integration points, and development technologies
Discussion of successful Facebook applications-and what makes them successful
What every developer must know about Facebook's Terms of Service
Creating an effective application infrastructure
Creating canvas pages with FBML and IFrames
Adding support for profiles, application tabs, and messaging
Incorporating JavaScript into Facebook applications with FBJS
Integrating Facebook into external sites with Facebook Connect and the Facebook JavaScript Client Library
Debugging techniques for Facebook applications
Spreading, monitoring, and tuning applications
Backcover
"What sets this title apart is the authors' deep insight of how to leverage the Facebook API to create wildly successful applications. They even provide instructions of how to a/b test, track, and analyze metrics to increase the exposure and engagement of your applications. Their knowledge is practical and after putting their techniques to use, my applications have achieved better results."
-Joseph Annuzzi, Jr., App Architect, PeerDynamic.com
With more than 250 million active users, Facebook is the world's #1 social networking platform. But developing successful Facebook applications presents unique challenges, both technical and nontechnical. Now, two of the world's most experienced Facebook developers show you exactly how to meet those challenges. Essential Facebook Development offers insider guidance and up-to-the-minute best practices for the entire application lifecycle: design, coding, testing, distribution, post-launch monitoring, metrics, and even application marketing.
Using extensive real-world examples, John Maver and Cappy Popp reveal why some Facebook applications succeed brilliantly while others fail. Next, they walk through building a complete application using every major component of the Facebook platform. Maver and Popp thoroughly cover Facebook's most important new features, including Facebook Connect, and provide extensive information available nowhere else-from measuring application success to monetization. Coverage includes
Thorough introductions to Facebook's current architecture, integration points, and development technologies
Discussion of successful Facebook applications-and what makes them successful
What every developer must know about Facebook's Terms of Service
Creating an effective application infrastructure
Creating canvas pages with FBML and IFrames
Adding support for profiles, application tabs, and messaging
Incorporating JavaScript into Facebook applications with FBJS
Integrating Facebook into external sites with Facebook Connect and the Facebook JavaScript Client Library
Debugging techniques for Facebook applications
Spreading, monitoring, and tuning applications
Preface xvi
Part I: Introduction to Facebook Applications
Chapter 1: Facebook Applications: The Basics 3
Chapter 2: Making Great Applications 21
Chapter 3: Platform Architecture Overview 31
Chapter 4: Platform Developer Tools 49
Chapter 5: Facebook Terms of Service and Application Programs 69
Part II: Developing Applications
Chapter 6: The Basics of Creating Applications 83
Chapter 7: Building the Canvas 107
Chapter 8: Updating the Profile 133
Chapter 9: Feed Stories, Feed Forms, and Templates 155
Chapter 10: Publisher, Notifications, and Requests 193
Chapter 11: FBJS, Mock AJAX, and Flash 243
Part III: Integrating Facebook into an External Website
Chapter 12: Facebook JavaScript Client Library 315
Chapter 13: Facebook Connect 343
Part IV: Post Launch
Chapter 14: Measuring Application Success 369
Chapter 15: Spreading and Monetizing Applications 385
Chapter 16: Improving Application Performance and Workflow 399
Part V: Appendices
Appendix A: Resources 421
Appendix B: Beta Features 423
Index 427