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Tag Archives: APIs
Library Application Program Interfaces
For reasons of serendipity, this seems to have been API week at FGI. We just keep posting stories about APIs. So, here is one more. It's not new, but still a good one:
- Library Application Program Interfaces, By Roy Tennant, TechEssence, July 17th, 2008.
Application Program Interfaces (APIs) are structured methods for one software application to communicate with another. APIs allow programs to interoperate and share data and services in a standard way. Here is a list of library-related APIs that library developers may find useful.Continue reading
The People’s Data
The People’s Data, by Christopher Werth, NEWSWEEK, From the magazine issue dated Mar 9, 2009. "Government should make data openly available and then let outside talent reimagine how it can be used online." See also: Realizing Transparency Through Federal Government APIs, by Andres Ferrate, ProgrammableWeb, March 4th, 2009. Continue reading
St Louis Fed goes gaga for APIs
And speaking of APIs, I just noticed a post on govdoc-l that the St Louis Fed is now providing APIs for FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) and ALFRED (ArchivaL Federal Reserve Economic Data). Here's more information on their API. I hope our programming friends will check out FRED and ALFRED as there's a TON of data there, some going back to 1927! From the St Louis Fed programmer:
"The FRED API accommodates any programming language that can parse XML and communicate with our servers using HTTP. The FRED API is based on the REST web service architecture. REST leverages familiar web technologies. Like a website, the FRED API uses HTTP to receive requests and send responses. Also like a website, the FRED API uses URLs to specify requests. This web service differs from a normal website by sending XML instead of HTML. HTML is a visual medium that's not always strictly formatted and flexible enough for arbitrary data structures. XML allows custom tags and relationships among tags."This is *exactly* how govt agencies should building their Web/data services. Thanks St Louis Fed!! Continue reading
Mmmmm… APIs!
Although we often mention the desirability of having APIs for government information, it is one of those things that we feel you can't say too often. So, it is nice to see the announcement by excellent UK newspaper The Guardian that they are launching a robust API for its content and data. Equally nice is the write up about this event by Felix Salmon, who outlines the benefits of APIs.
- Blogonomics: APIs, by Felix Salmon, Portfolio.com, Mar 11 2009.
Hacking Congress .org
Josh Tauberer has set up a new site, HackingCongress.org, meant to be "the intersection of civics & technology." Josh invites you to create an account so you can participate and edit any content on the site. "It's basically a new wiki," he says.
HackingCongress is a new hub for projects at the intersection of civics & technology, fostering civic engagement and education, advancing government transparency, and supporting communication with government. ("Hacking" has a dual meaning in the computer world and in this case it is positive slang for creative programming.) The focus of this site is on projects related to the U.S. Congress and state-level legislatures. The goal is to be a hub, or at least a links page, for the developer community surrounding the intersection of civics and technology especially (but not exclusively) as it relates to the U.S. Congress. Create an account and start editing pages. Make sure your project is listed with a description you like, and add any other relevant projects, data sources, and APIs to the appropriate pages.There is already a lot there: Then beginnings of a list of the databases and APIs that are available for government transparency data; Links to ongoing projects broken down by type; An aggregator of of blogs in the open government tech community, planet.hackingcongress.org. ...and more! Continue reading
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