Developing Facebook Applications with Drupal (Drupalcon Szeged)

Dave Cohen

Drupal for Facebook

Introduction to Facebook

• Photo credits: Jeffy with kitteh Alice, Noelle, Jeff MacNeil

Introduction to Facebook

• It's about people, and their social networks

Facebook Applications

• Take advantage of personal and relationship information

Facebook Applications

• Some Applications by Facebook

Facebook Applications

• Some Applications by Facebook
• Many by Third Parties

<br /> Facebook Apps vs. WWW Apps<br />

• Millions of potential users
• Each probably a real person
• Social graph links users to people, places, things

Elements of an Application

• News Feed

Elements of an Application

• News Feed
• Profile Box

Elements of an Application

• News Feed
• Profile Box
• Info

Elements of an Application

• News Feed
• Profile Box
• Info
• Profile Tab

Elements of an Application

• Canvas Pages

Facebook API

• Canvas Pages (FBML)

Facebook API

• Canvas Pages (FBML)

Facebook API

• Canvas Pages (FBML)

Facebook API

• Canvas Pages (FBML)

Facebook API

• Canvas Pages (FBML)

Facebook API

• Canvas Pages (iframe)

Facebook API

• Canvas Pages (iframe)

Facebook API

• Canvas Pages (iframe)

Facebook API

• Asyncronous
• XML over HTTP
• PHP Wrapper Functions
• FQL Queries
• Publish Feeds, Profile Boxes

Facebook API

FBML - Facebook Markup Language

• Canvas Pages (except iframe)
• Profile Boxes, News Feeds, etc..
• Great for user names
• Necessary for Friend selectors and invite forms

Drupal for Facebook

Drupal is great for Facebook Apps because....

• FBML is similar to HTML
• Canvas pages versatile, like web pages
• Not locked into Facebook only

Drupal for Facebook

• Step 1: install Drupal for Facebook

Drupal for Facebook

• Create an Application (on facebook.com)

Drupal for Facebook

• Application settings on Drupal
  

Drupal for Facebook

• Application settings on Drupal
  

Drupal for Facebook

• Application settings on Drupal
  

Drupal for Facebook

• Copy values to Facebook settings form
  

Drupal for Facebook

• Canvas Pages

Drupal for Facebook

• Canvas Pages (breadcrumb, title, tabs)

Drupal for Facebook

• Canvas Pages (submitted by, links)

Drupal for Facebook

• Canvas Pages (menus, blocks)

Drupal for Facebook

• Canvas Pages (paths)

Drupal for Facebook

• Asynchronous API
  • Actions and Triggers
  • Global variables
  • Helper functions

Drupal for Facebook

• Asynchronous API
• Feed Templates
  • Managed like content
  • Registered with Facebook
  • Compatible with Token

Drupal for Facebook

• Asynchronous API
• Feed Templates
• Facebook Markup (FBML) and Facebook Javascript (FBJS)
  • Use drupal_add_css()
  • Use drupal_add_js()
  • Support for #ahah (limited)

Drupal for Facebook

• Asynchronous API
• Feed Templates
• Facebook Markup (FBML) and Facebook Javascript (FBJS)
• Facebook Connect
  • Coming soon

Drupal for Facebook

Keys to success...

• Separate theme layer
• Degrade gracefully
• Use views, blocks, actions, tokens, #ahah,...
• Read the documentation

Links, Q and A

• apps.facebook.com/drupalforfacebook
• www.drupal.org/project/fb
• developers.facebook.com
• www.dave-cohen.com
• BoF tomorrow 11am, Cisco room