Facebook Graph API client
npm install fbgraphFBgraph is a nodejs module that provides easy access to the facebook graph api
I created this because I wanted to access FB's graph from node.
The libraries I found, felt clunky to me, and I needed an excuse to create a node module.
All calls will return json. Facebook sometimes (on friend requests, deleting test users, access token request)
decides to just return a string or true or redirects directly to the image. I say __nay-nay__! Let's make it Disney, and keep things consistent!
var graph = require('fbgraph');
If you get an accesstoken via some other Oauth module like everyauth ,
connect-auth or node-oauth you can just set
the access token directly. Most get calls, and pretty much all post calls will require an access_token
js
graph.setAccessToken(access_token);
`$3
js
// pass it in as part of the url
graph.post(userId + "/feed?access_token=007", wallPost, function(err, res) {
// returns the post id
console.log(res); // { id: xxxxx}
});`
This is how you would get authenticated using only the
module.
More details below on the __express app__ section`js
// get authorization url
var authUrl = graph.getOauthUrl({
"client_id": conf.client_id
, "redirect_uri": conf.redirect_uri
}); // shows dialog
res.redirect(authUrl);
// after user click, auth
code will be set
// we'll send that and get the access token
graph.authorize({
"client_id": conf.client_id
, "redirect_uri": conf.redirect_uri
, "client_secret": conf.client_secret
, "code": req.query.code
}, function (err, facebookRes) {
res.redirect('/loggedIn');
});
`$3
Facebook recommends adding the
parameter to all API calls to verify that the access tokens are coming from a valid app.
You can make this happen automatically by calling graph.setAppSecret(app_secret), which will be used on
all calls to generate the appsecret_proof hash that is sent to Facebook. Make sure you also set the
access token for the user via graph.setAccessToken.Extending access token expiration time
If you want to extend the expiration time of your short-living access token, you may use
extendAccessToken method as it is shown below:`js
// extending static access token
graph.extendAccessToken({
"client_id": conf.client_id
, "client_secret": conf.client_secret
}, function (err, facebookRes) {
console.log(facebookRes);
}); // extending specific access token
graph.extendAccessToken({
"access_token": client_access_token
, "client_id": conf.client_id
, "client_secret": conf.client_secret
}, function (err, facebookRes) {
console.log(facebookRes);
});
`
How requests are made
All calls are made using the request nodejs module
__Why?__ something to do with wheels and re-invention.Request options are directly mapped and can be set like so:
js
var options = {
timeout: 3000
, pool: { maxSockets: Infinity }
, headers: { connection: "keep-alive" }
};graph
.setOptions(options)
.get("zuck", function(err, res) {
console.log(res); // { id: '4', name: 'Mark Zuckerberg'... }
});
`Possible options can be found on the request github page
cannot be overriden and has a default value of false
will have utf-8 as default if nothing is set$3
The request object is exposed as a property on graph object. So that all the request api can be accessed.`js
var graphObject = graph
.get("zuck", function(err, res) {
console.log(res); // { id: '4', name: 'Mark Zuckerberg'... }
});// abort the request.
graphObject.request.abort();
`$3
Pagination in Facebook is done either with a or a next url to call.
To simplify the fbgraph API, it's possible to use a fully constructed URL in order to get
the next page. See the following example:`js
// note: you might want to prevent the callback hell :)
graph.get('likes', {limit: 2, access_token: "foobar"}, function(err, res) {
if(res.paging && res.paging.next) {
graph.get(res.paging.next, function(err, res) {
// page 2
});
}
});
`Setting the version of the Graph Api
js
graph.setVersion("2.8");
`See Facebook API changelog for available versions.
Read data from the Graph Api
js
graph.get("zuck", function(err, res) {
console.log(res); // { id: '4', name: 'Mark Zuckerberg'... }
});
`params in the
js
graph.get("zuck?fields=picture", function(err, res) {
console.log(res); // { picture: 'http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/'... }
});
`params as an
js
var params = { fields: "picture" };graph.get("zuck", params, function(err, res) {
console.log(res); // { picture: "http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/..." }
});
`GraphApi calls that __redirect__ directly to an image
will return a
response with relevant fields`js
graph.get("/zuck/picture", function(err, res) {
console.log(res); // { image: true, location: "http://profile.ak.fb..." }
});
`Search data from the Graph Api
Search for public posts that contain __brogramming__
js
var searchOptions = {
q: "brogramming"
, type: "post"
};graph.search(searchOptions, function(err, res) {
console.log(res); // {data: [{id: xxx, from: ...}, {id: xxx, from: ...}]}
});
`Publish data to the Graph Api
All publish requests will require an only needs to be set once
js
graph.setAccessToken(accessToken);
`Post a message on the user's wall
js
var wallPost = {
message: "I'm gonna come at you like a spider monkey, chip!"
};graph.post("/feed", wallPost, function(err, res) {
// returns the post id
console.log(res); // { id: xxxxx}
});
`Delete a Graph object
To delete a graph object, provide an
and the
response will return {data: true} or {data:false}js
graph.del(postID, function(err, res) {
console.log(res); // {data:true}/{data:false}
});
`Performing a batch request
Batching allows you to pass instructions for several operations in a single HTTP request.
js
graph.batch([
{
method: "GET",
relative_url: "me" // Get the current user's profile information
},
{
method: "GET",
relative_url: "me/friends?limit=50" // Get the first 50 friends of the current user
}
], function(err, res) {
console.log(res);
// [
// {
// "code": 200,
// "headers":[
// {"name": "Content-Type", "value": "text/javascript; charset=UTF-8"}
// ],
// "body": "{\"id\":\"…\"}"
// },
// {
// "code": 200,
// "headers":[
// {"name": "Content-Type", "value": "text/javascript; charset=UTF-8"}
// ],
// "body":"{\"data\": [{…}]}"
// }
// ]
});
`Performing a FQL query
A single FQL query is done by sending a query as a string
js
var query = "SELECT name FROM user WHERE uid = me()";graph.fql(query, function(err, res) {
console.log(res); // { data: [ { name: 'Ricky Bobby' } ] }
});
`You can specify additional options by adding a JSON object
js
var query = "SELECT name FROM user WHERE uid = me()";
var options = {access_token: "foobar"};graph.fql(query, options, function(err, res) {
console.log(res); // { data: [ { name: 'Ricky Bobby' } ] }
});
`Performing a FQL Multi-Query
FQL Multi-Queries are done by sending in an object containing the separate queries
js
var query = {
name: "SELECT name FROM user WHERE uid = me()"
, permissions: "SELECT email, user_about_me, user_birthday FROM permissions WHERE uid = me()"
};graph.fql(query, function(err, res) {
console.log(res);
// { data: [
// { name: 'name', fql_result_set: [{name: 'Ricky Bobby'}] },
// { name: 'permissions', fql_result_set: [{email: 1, user_about_me: 1...}] }
// ]}
});
`Rockin' it on an Express App
This example assumes that you have a link on the main page
that points to /auth/facebook.
The user will click this link and get into the facebook authorization flow ( if the user hasn't already connected)
After authorizing the app the user will be redirected to /UserHasLoggedIn
npm install --save express fbgraph method-override body-parser errorhandler pug
js
/**
* Module dependencies.
*/var express = require('express')
, graph = require('fbgraph');
var app = express();
var server = require("http").createServer(app);
// this should really be in a config file!
var conf = {
client_id: 'APP-PUBLIC-ID'
, client_secret: 'APP-SECRET-ID'
, scope: 'email, user_about_me, user_birthday, user_location, publish_actions'
// You have to set http://localhost:3000/ as your website
// using Settings -> Add platform -> Website
, redirect_uri: 'http://localhost:3000/auth'
};
// Configuration
var methodOverride = require('method-override');
var bodyParser = require('body-parser');
var errorHandler = require('errorhandler');
app.set('views', __dirname + '/views');
// Jade was renamed to pug
app.set('view engine', 'pug');
app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({
extended: true
}));
app.use(methodOverride());
var path = require ('path');
app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, '/public')));
var env = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development';
if ('development' == env) {
app.use(errorHandler({ dumpExceptions: true, showStack: true }));
}
// Routes
app.get('/', function(req, res){
res.render("index", { title: "click link to connect" });
});
app.get('/auth', function(req, res) {
// we don't have a code yet
// so we'll redirect to the oauth dialog
if (!req.query.code) {
console.log("Performing oauth for some user right now.");
var authUrl = graph.getOauthUrl({
"client_id": conf.client_id
, "redirect_uri": conf.redirect_uri
, "scope": conf.scope
});
if (!req.query.error) { //checks whether a user denied the app facebook login/permissions
res.redirect(authUrl);
} else { //req.query.error == 'access_denied'
res.send('access denied');
}
}
// If this branch executes user is already being redirected back with
// code (whatever that is)
else {
console.log("Oauth successful, the code (whatever it is) is: ", req.query.code);
// code is set
// we'll send that and get the access token
graph.authorize({
"client_id": conf.client_id
, "redirect_uri": conf.redirect_uri
, "client_secret": conf.client_secret
, "code": req.query.code
}, function (err, facebookRes) {
res.redirect('/UserHasLoggedIn');
});
}
});
// user gets sent here after being authorized
app.get('/UserHasLoggedIn', function(req, res) {
res.render("index", {
title: "Logged In"
});
});
var port = process.env.PORT || 3000;
app.listen(port, function() {
console.log("Express server listening on port %d", port);
});
`Running tests
Before running the test suite, add your Facebook
and appSecret to tests/config.js
This is needed to create and to get a test access_token` $ npm install
$ make test
_Tests might fail if the Facebook api has an issue._
(The MIT License)
Copyright (c) 2011 Cristiano Oliveira <ocean.cris@gmail.com>
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
'Software'), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to
permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to
the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT,
TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE
SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.