Facebook Java Api(ENG)

Facebook Java Api Example
G.Morreale

Introduction:

This article explain the facebook java api through an example.

First you need a facebook account, and you have to enable "Developer" application.

See at http://www.facebook.com/developers/

Then you must configure you account and make a new application configuration in order to obtain 

"api key" and "secret key".

This can be accomplished by reading http://developers.facebook.com/get_started.php

The Server

You need a java web server (tomcat, glassfish, jboss etc.) available by the web.

Localhost server isn't ok to facebook integration purpose.

Facebook Java Api

If you want to interact with facebook platform a client library can be very useful.

Client library are available in different languages:http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/Client_Libraries

There isn't a officiale Java api but you can choose alternative unofficial ones:

• fb4j
  
• JavaBook
  
• Facebook Java Api Community Project
  

I prefer the last one.

So go to http://code.google.com/p/facebook-java-api/ and download facebook-java-api-2.0.4.bin.zip (or later).

When you download it, extract the jar into a directory and get it available in you facebook example application classpath.

Facebook server make available user data, photos, groups infos etc by rest api:http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/API

The Facebook Client Project

Make a new Web project, and make a new empty servlet.

The servlet url-pattern configured in web.xml must be the same indicated in facebook application configuration.

The Source Code

public class index extends HttpServlet

{

    //facebook give it!

    String apiKey = "your api key";

    String secretKey = "your secret key";

    protected void processRequest(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response)

            throws ServletException, IOException

    {

        response.setContentType("text/html;charset=UTF-8");

        PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();

        try

        {

            out.println("<h2>User information</h2>");

            //facebook login mechanism give you by http parameter the session key

            //needed for client api request.

            String sessionKey = request.getParameter(FacebookParam.SESSION_KEY.toString());

            //initialize a facebook xml client (you can choose different client version: xml, jaxb or json)

            //the init is done by apiKey, secretKey and session key previosly requested

            FacebookXmlRestClient client = new FacebookXmlRestClient(apiKey, secretKey, sessionKey);

            

            //This code line obtain the user logged id

            Long uid = client.users_getLoggedInUser();

            //print user info.

            out.println(printUserInfo(uid, client, sessionKey));

}

 



private String printUserInfo(Long uid, FacebookXmlRestClient client, String sessionKey) throws FacebookException

    {

        StringBuffer ret = new StringBuffer();

        //init array parameter

        ArrayList<Long> uids = new ArrayList<Long>(1);

        uids.add(uid);

        //init field parameter - we choose all profile infos.

        List<ProfileField> fields = Arrays.asList(ProfileField.values());




        //init the client in order to make the xml request

        client = new FacebookXmlRestClient(apiKey, secretKey, sessionKey);

        //get the xml document containing the infos

        Document userInfoDoc = client.users_getInfo(uids, fields);




        //for each info append it to returned string buffer

        for (ProfileField pfield : fields)

        {

            ret.append(pfield.fieldName()).append(" <b>").append(userInfoDoc.getElementsByTagName(pfield.fieldName()).            item(0).getTextContent()).append("</b>");

            ret.append("</br>");

        }

        return ret.toString();

    }



Conclusion 
In this simple manner you can print all logged facebook user info into facebook application.
In order to make a cleary client authentication by using java servlet filter you can read this:
http://www.theliveweb.net/blog/2007/10/31/facebook-authentication-using-java/ 


TrovaTv Samsung and facebook