Zerosoft

Very often modern websites are enriched with services delivered by external providers. The most popular ones enable e.g. to show office location on interactive map, online payments support, communication with social networking websites.

Communication between website and external service providers is usually performed via API (Application Programming Interface), which is delivered by particular provider. Scope of data usage and manipulation via API is different for each service and depends on available features and individual possibilities.

Google Maps

One of the most common components used on websites (especially on “Contact us” subpages) are Google Maps. To configure and embed such map on the website Google Maps API needs to be used. List of possibilities is very long, but the most popular are:

• Marking location on the map with custom markers.
• Setting default zoom level, coordinates, map type.
• Getting driving directions.
• Adding custom objects on the map (shapes, photos, data layers, etc.).

Google Analytics

Google Analytics allows to track traffic on the website. It delivers information about number of visitors, the most often visited pages, time of visit or path which was used by the user to reach certain page.

Number of functionalities available in this tool may be overwhelming. That’s why it’s a common practice to create custom application, in which from all available information, only those relevant for particular user are displayed. This data can be retrieved with help of Google Analytics Data Export API. Thanks to this it’s possible not only to view selected data but also use them to perform complex analysis or display them in any required graphical shape.

Twitter

Social networking website, Twitter, exists from 2006. It introduced new service allowing to add short text messages to own profile. Messages are visible on users profile page and are sent to all his friends. In short time Twitter became very popular and with rapidly growing number of registered users, world gone mad on its point.

Usage of Twitter’s data is possible via Twitter API, which among others offers:

• Displaying tweets added to selected account.
• Logging in to Twitter and adding new entries from the external application level.
• Searching within Twitter entries by keywords, users, locations or dates.

eBay

eBay is world most popular online auction and shopping website. With eBay API it’s possible to create custom application that would communicate with eBay using unique graphical user interface accustomed to individual needs. With eBay API it’s, among others, possible to:

• Display auctions based on given keywords, category, username.
• Display bids by particular user.
• Display auction’s details.
• Start new auctions.
• Leave a comment to other user after finished transaction.

Yahoo! Answers

Website created by Yahoo!, which main idea is to have ask a questions from various areas and answer on existing ones. Answers are then rated thanks to which most valuable ones are retrieved. Some of the Yahoo! Answers API possibilities are:

• Searching for answers based on given phrase and display them.
• Searching for questions from given category or added by given user.
• Receiving updates regarding new content added by favorite experts.

CrunchBase

CrunchBase is a free database of technology companies, people and investors working similarly to Wikipedia – any user can add new entries and modify existing ones. CrunchBase API allows to retrieve content from this data source, search within this data and display it in custom application.

Payment systems

Many websites, in particular e-commerce ones, require online payments support. The most popular online payment systems are:

• PayPal

  One of the most popular online payment systems, which currently has over 150 million registered users. Assures secured money transfer via Internet for companies and individual clients. The only requirement is to have personal e-mail address.

• authorize.net

  System acting as payment gateway, delivering secured process of credit card or electronic check payments acceptance directly from the website level.

• Securetrading

  Online payment gateway allowing to accept payments made by credit card, debit card or other payment means (e.g. PayPal).

• Przelewy24

  One of the most popular payment gateways in Poland, offers online sellers secured acceptance of payments from various sources (e.g. credit cards, online bank transfers, PayPal, SMS payments and many others).