We've been mentioning, here and there, an impending release of a REST API for Socialtext. As soon as next week, the code and docs will be close enough to say, "let's do a Beta." Watch here and on the Socialtext Open Source Wiki for an announcement explaining how to participate. We'll be providing free workspaces to developers that don't already have their own.
What can you do with a REST API to Socialtext? We don't really know. Sure, we have things that we want to, and will, do with it to improve our systems, but because it is RESTy and because we designed it to be this way, it is very flexible and general. The data is there, you do what you want.
Here's some things we've already done:
- Socialtext::Resting, an evolving Perl library for manipulating the resources presented by the API. The distribution includes strut, a command line diddle-your-workspaces tool. Kirsten Jones and I (Chris Dent) built Socialtext::Resting.
- News Boy, put together by Zac Bir and Matt Liggett, is a desktop application for OS X for browsing Socialtext content on multiple servers. We'll get editing added in the next few days, and release it when the Beta starts.
- The Violator, a prototype AJAX interface to Socialtext. It's called the Violator, because thus far it blows away any sense of good browser accessibility behavior. Look for this on the Socialtext Open Source Wiki in a few days.
Some ideas we've had, but need more time, help or encouragement to complete:
- Adaptors for moving information between database systems such as SugarCRM and a Socialtext workspace, allowing more flexible tracking of customers, products or whatever else.
- Restaurant reviews in a Socialtext Wiki, created in a mashup with Google Maps. Go both directions: find restaurants on the map and read or create reviews, or read and edit reviews and then find them on the map.
- Using the API to generate an IMAP interface to Socialtext: Wiki in your mail!
I'm sure Socialtext users have plenty of ideas. If you want to give your ideas a shot, watch this space for more info, and watch the Open Source Wiki recent changes for developments. We're looking forward to the fun.
