There are many Web Service APIs that we can use in conjunction with Joomla!. This is a list of a few of the more common Web Service APIs that we are likely to use:
eBay
Google (Calendar, Checkout, Maps, Search)
Microsoft (Live, MSN, XBOX)
Yahoo! (Mail, Maps, Search)
The API and service that we use determines the way in which we handle the API. We will take a look at the Yahoo! Search API. Before we start, we need to discuss the Yahoo! Application ID.
Yahoo! uses a unique ID to identify the applications that use its API. If you intend to use the Yahoo! API, it is important that you register your application before you start development. This will ensure that you are able to obtain the desired ID.
Most Web Service APIs require us to use some type of ID. This allows the owners of the API to analyze the usage of their services.
For the purposes of this example we will use the application ID YahooDemo
—this is the default ID used when demonstrating the use of the Yahoo Search API.
In order...