This is my first attempt to summarize how the rest services will work. Please ask any questions that may pop up. That helps me figure out how to teach this stuff to non-programmers.
Thomas
Rest Overview
- Thread starter TigerSoftware
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This is my first attempt to summarize how the rest services will work. Please ask any questions that may pop up. That helps me figure out how to teach this stuff to non-programmers.
Thomas
Hi Thomas!
So we don't need to know Javascript or XML or whatever else to use or interact with these api services? I thought we would need to know some basics of web programming or coding (HTML/Javascript/) etc.
After connecting to the api service for whatever data we want to tap into, we simply need to match up our fields to the data fields of the api service (from the appropriate JSON files), and then create the scripts from that point forward to perform as we have them do now for the local database, is that correct?
What do you think we SHOULD learn as fundamental to using the api services with ESB? Do we need to know at least a little bit of JSON/XML or something like that, or is none of that necessary and we just need to learn some basics of how to locate the data files we want from the api services (I know there is no set standard from service to service) or something like that? (lol...it's hard to ask these questions actually or to determine what questions need to be asked).
Anyhow...thanks for making this. It seems easier to work with than what I initially thought, though I'm sure there will be some challenges along the way.
Mel
So we don't need to know Javascript or XML or whatever else to use or interact with these api services? I thought we would need to know some basics of web programming or coding (HTML/Javascript/) etc.
After connecting to the api service for whatever data we want to tap into, we simply need to match up our fields to the data fields of the api service (from the appropriate JSON files), and then create the scripts from that point forward to perform as we have them do now for the local database, is that correct?
What do you think we SHOULD learn as fundamental to using the api services with ESB? Do we need to know at least a little bit of JSON/XML or something like that, or is none of that necessary and we just need to learn some basics of how to locate the data files we want from the api services (I know there is no set standard from service to service) or something like that? (lol...it's hard to ask these questions actually or to determine what questions need to be asked).
Anyhow...thanks for making this. It seems easier to work with than what I initially thought, though I'm sure there will be some challenges along the way.
Mel
Most webservices will take and return data as JSON. Very few will be done with xml. No need to learn Html or Javascript.
Yes, all you need to do is match the Json field with the Property's Json Name field. Copy the name of the Json field and paste it into the Json Name field within the Form Property. Date fields will be a little more involved as we need to use a converter since web services will have different formats for the dates. Besides that, it is just matching the fields so the software knows what data belongs to what Form Property.
I don't think you really need to learn anything before diving in. I will put together some more tutorials on how to read the webservice documentation and translate them to the Forms/Properties and Get/New/Update/Delete calls. I think the hardest part will be understanding the documentation that these webservices put out.
Anyhow...thanks for making this. It seems easier to work with than what I initially thought, though I'm sure there will be some challenges along the way.
Mel
I hope so. It was a big struggle to make this as easy as possible.
I think the snippets will make building these scripts really fast. There is a lot of flexibility if you need to do something strange which does happen with these webservices. I sometimes wonder what they were thinking. Cough, Paypal, Cough... Thomas
Yes, I noticed in the video you had snippets that popped up in a side panel for a variety of data processing. Those will help a lot.
A fellow marketer told us the Warrior Plus api is pretty much useless, so that's where the scraping has to come into play for some sites, but I'm now really looking forward to using this api feature in ESB. It doesn't seem as intimidating after watching your video. You did a great job of making this useful for non-programmers.
I know you hate having to make the videos (we've done a few ourselves and it's not as easy as it looks), but your videos bring a lot of clarity where the written documentation doesn't quite do that in some cases, so I'm hoping you will continue making videos.
The problem I think most people who buy ESB have (dating back to TSB) is with the terminology and the logical flow (steps needed) to do this or that. When we purchased ESB (then it was TSB) in 2014, you had recently made several videos showing how to use TSB, and those videos made it possible for Joan and myself to get the hang of the software quickly. Had we only had the pdf documentation, it would have taken us much longer to figure things out.
Amazing stuff you're doing. Really. I'm always impressed with how you are able to pull this off. lol. What a powerful software you've created over all this time. Wow.
Mel
A fellow marketer told us the Warrior Plus api is pretty much useless, so that's where the scraping has to come into play for some sites, but I'm now really looking forward to using this api feature in ESB. It doesn't seem as intimidating after watching your video. You did a great job of making this useful for non-programmers.
I know you hate having to make the videos (we've done a few ourselves and it's not as easy as it looks), but your videos bring a lot of clarity where the written documentation doesn't quite do that in some cases, so I'm hoping you will continue making videos.
The problem I think most people who buy ESB have (dating back to TSB) is with the terminology and the logical flow (steps needed) to do this or that. When we purchased ESB (then it was TSB) in 2014, you had recently made several videos showing how to use TSB, and those videos made it possible for Joan and myself to get the hang of the software quickly. Had we only had the pdf documentation, it would have taken us much longer to figure things out.
Amazing stuff you're doing. Really. I'm always impressed with how you are able to pull this off. lol.
What a powerful software you've created over all this time. Wow. Mel
Thanks Mel!
Videos are a must. As you said, it is easier to see the flow of an app through a video. I look at the docs as more of a detailed explanation of specific functions. The videos will take all of those functions and show how they all work together.
I bought a 27 inch monitor to help crank out more videos. It was too difficult doing it all on the laptop 15 inch screen.
I also believe the ability to import/export snippets will help greatly. I or someone else can build a quick snippet and send you the code that you can import into your script. Easier than doing a video! haha
Once I get all caught up then we will work on putting the automation into the cloud. Seems like the work is never done!
Thomas
Videos are a must. As you said, it is easier to see the flow of an app through a video. I look at the docs as more of a detailed explanation of specific functions. The videos will take all of those functions and show how they all work together.
I bought a 27 inch monitor to help crank out more videos. It was too difficult doing it all on the laptop 15 inch screen.
I also believe the ability to import/export snippets will help greatly. I or someone else can build a quick snippet and send you the code that you can import into your script. Easier than doing a video! haha
Once I get all caught up then we will work on putting the automation into the cloud.
Seems like the work is never done!Thomas
Oh, I expect many of you to become millionaires this year. No pressure!
Thomas
Thomas
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Well-known member
Yeah..its all easy Mel, you'll be fine. Thomas has done the harder stuff in the background
I'll put up some in depth videos too as some of them are a little different but it looks like it will
save a lot of time too. In php can almost use the same snippets to do most api stuff so its not too hard.
Just yell out if you or others get stuck. Me? I'm was stuck on a compatible issue with an older version of
php but host finally updated to 7.3 so i can finish up this stripe api in this plugin...almost there..really.haha
Great work Thomas...oh..i thought Mike was 50 too :O I must be getting old too lol.
I'll put up some in depth videos too as some of them are a little different but it looks like it will
save a lot of time too. In php can almost use the same snippets to do most api stuff so its not too hard.
Just yell out if you or others get stuck. Me? I'm was stuck on a compatible issue with an older version of
php but host finally updated to 7.3 so i can finish up this stripe api in this plugin...almost there..really.haha
Great work Thomas...oh..i thought Mike was 50 too :O I must be getting old too lol.
Automation in the cloud...
I wonder what we'll be discussing 10 years from now...integrated machine learning or something perhaps...or maybe just retirement. Lol.
Millionaire THIS year would be a tall order, but maybe within 3 years...possible.
Thanks a bunch! I'm watching the video again and it's making even more sense...took a look at the JVZoo api documentation and now that makes more sense too.
Mel
I wonder what we'll be discussing 10 years from now...integrated machine learning or something perhaps...or maybe just retirement. Lol.
Millionaire THIS year would be a tall order, but maybe within 3 years...possible.
Thanks a bunch! I'm watching the video again and it's making even more sense...took a look at the JVZoo api documentation and now that makes more sense too.
Mel
Hi Thomas,
Thank you for the video. It is much easier to see how things works in this short video.
One thing that would be great is if we can use ESB to send data from one application to another via API with automation. For example, let say that I have an account with Trello and would like to send data from Trello to another CRM application using ESB. Is that possible?
Thanks,
Mohammed
Thank you for the video. It is much easier to see how things works in this short video.
One thing that would be great is if we can use ESB to send data from one application to another via API with automation. For example, let say that I have an account with Trello and would like to send data from Trello to another CRM application using ESB. Is that possible?
Thanks,
Mohammed
I was thinking of something similar to Mohammed, if it can work kind of like Zapier - or I guess it could use Zapier....but also, is it possible to not only "get" data but also use the API through ESB to "post" data (if I have that term right, and assuming the company's api allows for that)?
Thanks!
Mel
Thanks!
Mel
That is exactly how it will work Mohammed. You will be able to automate workflows throughout many webservices. Your customers won't need to log into 4 or 5 websites to do their work when they can use your program to automate all of those websites.
I'd say 99% of all major websites have an API we can connect too.
The WebApi functionality will also allow your customers to tap into their hosted Mysql databases. If your customers have scripts, on their websites, then they can get that data and send it to other webservices like Trello or Google. Or they can take data from those webservices and add it to their hosted Mysql database.
This opens up all kinds of programs.
Thomas
ESB will be able to call other webservices and take that data and post it to different services. Sort of like a central hub. Very much like Zapier. Our programs have more functionality since it isn't just webservices.
I am going to take this further. Many webservices will post data to a url. I want our automation to be able to accept that data and run scripts. That is one reason I want to take the automation and bring it into the cloud. All of that corny working 2 hours a day internet marketing sales pitches doesn't sound so far fetch when we look at how our automation can run itself.
Thomas
Yeah..its all easy Mel, you'll be fine. Thomas has done the harder stuff in the background
I'll put up some in depth videos too as some of them are a little different but it looks like it will
save a lot of time too. In php can almost use the same snippets to do most api stuff so its not too hard.
Just yell out if you or others get stuck. Me? I'm was stuck on a compatible issue with an older version of
php but host finally updated to 7.3 so i can finish up this stripe api in this plugin...almost there..really.haha
Great work Thomas...oh..i thought Mike was 50 too :O I must be getting old too lol.
I upgraded to php 7.3 for this forum and it screwed up my RAP script. I don't think RAP is being supported any longer anyway. I'll probably have to code something up for payments and affiliates. I want to incorporate our automation so I can run scripts as well. I just have to find the time. haha
Thomas
Millionaire THIS year would be a tall order, but maybe within 3 years...possible.
Mel
3 years? I expect to hit it in 3 months.
Wait until I figure out how to add Artificial Intelligence to ESB/Smartflo.
Thomas
I was looking at TensorFlow...has an api but uses RESTful, not REST...I'm not sure about the difference.
Restful and Rest is the same thing.
Ah, so we can tap into that maybe. Don't know what I'd do with it or could do with it, but cool anyhow.
Mel
Oh, by the way, I meant to ask this previously...does how you have things set up use all the different versions of REST?
I found this directory that gives information about 22k sites that have an api, and most of them use REST, but some with different versions: 0.0, 1.0, etc.
API Directory
Mel
I found this directory that gives information about 22k sites that have an api, and most of them use REST, but some with different versions: 0.0, 1.0, etc.
API Directory
Mel
Ah, so we can tap into that maybe. Don't know what I'd do with it or could do with it, but cool anyhow.
Mel
I don't know anything about it but it does have an api we can use.
https://www.tensorflow.org/tfx/serving/api_rest#top_of_page
Thomas
REST works the same across the internet. Those versions may be their particular api version. Like we have different versions for ESB. The version would be specific to the website or software. Nothing to do with REST.
Thomas