[freshports-coders] interface to query freshports' database

[Dan Langille]

On Tue, February 23, 2010 1:15 am, Mario G. Pavlov wrote:
> On Tuesday 23 February 2010 04:22:45 Dan Langille wrote:
>> On 2/21/2010 5:17 PM, Mario G. Pavlov wrote:
>> > Hi,
>> > as I'm not the only person (anymore) wanting something like that I'm
>> > starting this thread as Dan suggested. So why doesn't freshports
>> provide
>> > a way for external applications or in other words non-browser clients
>> use
>> > freshports' database? Maybe there was no demand until now?
>>
>> Correct.
>>
>> > Anyway I've spoken to Dan
>> > sometime ago for such an interface. I would imagine it something like
>> > that: sending an HTTP GET request to freshports with maybe SQL-like
>> (or
>> > whatever is better) parameters and freshports returning clear text (to
>> > save bandwidth) or XML (to be more elegant) with the response
>> > e.g.
>> > HTTP GET:
>> > www.freshports.org/publicAPI?ports=www\firefox,www\apache22&attributes=ve
>> >rsion,description RESPONSE (in clear text):
>> > www\firefox: version=3.5.7 description=web browser created by Mozilla
>> > www\apache22: version=2.2.6 description=widely used HTTP web server
>> >
>> > RESPONSE (in XML):
>> > <ports>
>> > 	<port name="www\firefox" version="3.5.7">
>> > 		<description>web browser created by Mozilla</description>
>> > 	</port>
>> > 	<port name="www\apache22" version="2.2.6">
>> > 		<description>widely used HTTP web server</description>
>> > 	</port>
>> > </ports>
>> >
>> > ...or something...
>> >
>> > Of course this is just a stupid example...the real thing would need
>> some
>> > design work.
>> > So Dan, what do you think? Are you into something like that?
>>
>> It's a matter of time.  In the immediate future, I have BSDCan and PGCOn
>> until the end of May.  After that, I can consider such things.  But the
>> design etc can start.
>>
>> A good place to start is the list of information you want from the
>> system.


> Hi Dan,
> I think the most important information would be the following:
> port name
> full port version
> short description (COMMENT)
> long description (pkg-descr)
> link to freshports.org

That sounds similar to what's in the news feeds. Are they close to what
you need?

> Another thing that we should consider is the limitations of URL when using
> HTTP GET. If I request information for 50-100 or more ports I will
> probably
> hit the URL length limit. Perhaps we should go for HTTP POST...or even
> another
> protocol (not HTTP). What do you think?

What are you plans for this data retrieved from FreshPorts?

-- 
Dan Langille -- http://langille.org/