Web API Fetchers Project

Tasks

1. Look through http://programmableweb.com for publicly-accessible APIs that I'd like to experiment with. Write a class like the sample Fetchers::Stock provided that pulls data from them and converts the results into a hash.

2. If I'm feeling really ambitious, sign up for a Microsoft Bing Maps Key, and write a class that counts the number of severe traffic incidents occurring in and around Baltimore, MD. The Bing traffic API is documented here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh441726.aspx

Chosen APIs (Fetchers)

• Vimeo

  Chosen as it has a public API that does not require registration. Also allows for requesting data in JSON format.

• Etsy

  Requires registration and an API key. Wanted to try my hand at using an API key at the same time creating something my wife could potentially use.

• URL Status

  A simple fetcher that attempts to connect to a URL and returns:

  • Code 20x: { available: true }
  • Anything Else: { available: false }
    • This includes handling timeouts
    • Rescuing any exceptions

• MapQuest Traffic

• Travis-CI

Addtional Features

• Support HTTPS
  • Fetcher::Base#fetch should fully support an HTTPS url passed in
  • Ammend Fetcher::Base to provide a 'secure_fetch' which forces HTTPS
• Support handling timeouts after 30 seconds by default (but leave configurable)