Every day, the ProgrammableWeb team is busy, updating its three primary directories for APIs, clients (language-specific libraries or SDKs for consuming or providing APIs), and source code samples. If you have new APIs, clients, or source code examples to add to ProgrammableWeb’s directories, we offer forms (APIs, Clients, Source Code) for submitting them to our API research team. If there’s a listing in one of our directories that you’d like to claim as the owner, please contact us at editor@programmableweb.com.
Six APIs have been added to the ProgrammableWeb directory in categories such as Bitcoin, Identity, Domains, and Logistics. Additionally, some Node.js frameworks were added, as were several SDKs for RunKeeper health & fitness tracking service. Here's a look at what's new.
APIs
Ever wondered how many hamburgers you could buy with your bitcoins? Bitbond, a provider of Bitcoin loans to a global market, has an API for you. Bitbond BitcoinPPI (Purchasing Power Index) API measures the value of Bitcoin by its purchasing power of a Big Mac hamburger. It supports conversion to a local currency, and global average purchasing power. Its data is updated every 15 minutes.
We've categorized this API under the Bitcoin category. See ProgrammableWeb's complete list of Bitcoin APIs.
Cirrus Identity provides online account linking services for logging into multiple accounts with one identity. The Cirrus Identity REST API allows developers to integrate the functionality of Cirrus Identity with other applications. We've categorized the Cirrus Identity API under the Identity category. See ProgrammableWeb's complete list of Identity APIs.
Simpliroute is a fleet management and logistics provider. The Simpliroute REST API allows developers to access Simpleroute's functions to manage vehicles, manage routes, and manage users. We've categorized the Simpliroute API under the Logistics category. See ProgrammableWeb's complete list of Logistics APIs.
Wind Serve provides Linux consulting and web development services. Their DNS Check API features DNS monitoring, record updates, and troubleshooting. The DNS Check API can be used to extend monitoring systems. This API is in the Domains category. See ProgrammableWeb's complete list of Domains APIs.
DataCulture provides data-driven automation services for supply chain management. The DataCulture REST API allows developers to access and integrate the functionality of DataCulture with other applications. API access comes with account service. The DataCulture API is listed under the Automation category. See ProgrammableWeb's complete list of Automation APIs.
Heartland provides payment solutions for payroll, gift cards, point of sale, mobile payments, schools and more. Heartland Payment Systems API allows developers to integrate the SecureSubmit payments and billing functionalities into Web services for industries such as restaurants, mobile ordering, education, retail, and more.
This API is listed under the Payments category. See ProgrammableWeb's complete list of Payments APIs.
Frameworks, SDKs & Libraries
RunKeeper is an online health and fitness tracking service built on top of the Health Graph. The Health Graph allows users to keep track of their workouts, nutrition information, sleep and body measurements data, blood glucose levels, and much more in one place. Users can authorize any of the large and growing number of health and fitness partner apps and devices to read and write data to the Health Graph on their behalf. RunKeeper's Health Graph API provides developers access to all of this Health Graph information including things such as user profiles, fitness activities, nutrition information, and weight information. Several SDKs for use with the API have been added to the directory.
RunKeeper Health Graph Android SDK by Levelcap permits API communication to integrate running features into applications. See content related to OAuth initialization methods, updated fitness activity, and a sample Web application with TomCat as a plugin.
RunKeeper Health Graph iOS SDK by Reid van Melle allows to communicate with the API to implement running features into applications. It contains ASI HTTP request, SB JSON, and OAuthClient2. Although is not official, the SDK will be constantly updated over time to facilitate integration.
RunKeeper Health Graph Node.js SDK by Mark Sopercommunicates with the API to implement running features into applications. Guides available to create a client by registering a new application, use API methods by accessing with token, and extend a project by adding support for new calls.
RunKeeper Health Graph .NET SDK by Mark Brady interacts with the API to integrate running features into applications. Implementation references are available on GitHub. Available also on NuGet
The Sane Stack is a Node.js framework that offers developers a Sails and Ember cli to faciliate application development. This framework is cited as being an early prototype with further developments to come.
AllcountJS Node.js Framework intends to provide an open source full-stack Node.js framework for application development. The framework's objective is to be designed to build production-ready Web and mobile business applications. It offers business applications such for basic ones like CRUD as well as the more complex such as CRM, inventory, accounting and other enterprise systems that have domain objects with different views.
Catberry Node.js Framework is a Node.js framework that offers developers Flux architecture, isomorphic Web-components and progressive rendering.
Every day, the ProgrammableWeb team is busy, updating its three primary directories for APIs, clients (language-specific libraries or SDKs for consuming or providing APIs), and source code samples. If you have new APIs, clients, or source code examples to add to ProgrammableWeb’s directories, we offer forms (APIs, Clients, Source Code) for submitting them to our API research team. If there’s a listing in one of our directories that you’d like to claim as the owner, please contact us at editor@programmableweb.com.
Eight APIs have been added to the ProgrammableWeb directory in categories like Recognition, Wi-Fi, and Home Automation. Also new are SDKs for Mixpanel mobile analytics and Untappd, a social applicaiton for beer. Here's a summary.
APIs
Cognitec provides face localization and tracking for images and video streams. It supports multiple algorithms for 2D and 3D data. The Cognitec Facial Recognition API allows developers to integrate its facial recognition capabilities into apps.
We've categorized this API under the Recognition category. See ProgrammableWeb's complete list of Recognition APIs.
The Udger Cloud Parser is a data analytics API. This API detects and connects a variety of devices, client SW, and operating systems to Udger servers for real-time data acquisition. This RESTful API is intended for small volume detection operations. This API is listed under the Analytics category. See ProgrammableWeb's complete list of Analytics APIs.
HotspotSystem provides hotspot management to businesses who offer internet to their customers. HotspotSystem API allows developers to implement hotspot features into mobile applications and to bill for internet usage. We've categorized the HotspotSystem API under the Wi-Fi category. See ProgrammableWeb's complete list of Wi-Fi APIs.
Use the IJENKO IoE² API to build end user smart home applications such as smart heating and light and music automation. This RESTful API can also be used for analytics and data crunching or for creating a broad spectrum of applications syncing smart devices with the IoT. We've categorized the IJENKO API under the Home Automation category. See ProgrammableWeb's complete list of Home Automation APIs.
Infinispan is an open platform developed by Red Hat. It's written in Java and serves as a distributed cache, but can also be used as a NoSQL key/value store or object database. Infinispan API allows developers to integrate data storage into applications. The API offers transactions, events, querying, and distributed processing. This API is listed under the Caching category. See ProgrammableWeb's complete list of Caching APIs.
Dyn provides email services with monitoring, optimization, and internet intelligence. Dyn Email API allows to integrate email features into applications. Developers can call methods in HTTP/HTTPS formats and obtain responses in JSON, HTML, and XML. API Key access is available. We've categorized the Dyn Email API under the Email category. See ProgrammableWeb's complete list of Email APIs.
Visible MeasuresTrue Reach API allows developers to explore campaign-level details for any piece of branded video content using its YouTube or Facebook URL. Retrieve the total number of creative executions, video uploads, views, comments, ratings, and more with the API. The Visible Measures API is listed under the Advertising category. See ProgrammableWeb's complete list of Advertising APIs.
Captcha Solutions is a captcha decoding web service offering solutions based on a flat rate per captcha solved. This RESTful Captcha Solutions API is designed to solve a large variety of a captcha challenges for a broad spectrum of applications. This API is categorized under Captcha. See ProgrammableWeb's complete list of Captcha APIs.
SDKs & Libraries
Mixpanel is a Web service that lets companies track how users engage with their Web sites in real-time. The Mixpanel API allows users to post and access the data that Mixpanel is analyzing. This is a RESTful API and responses are returned in JSON format. Mixpanel provides Python SDK, an iOS SDK, and a JavaScript SDK for API implementation.
Untappd is a mobile Web app that allows users to share information about beer and places to enjoy beer. The Untappd API gives developers insight into the Untappd data and how to visualize to consumers. API details cannot be accessed without logging into the site, but we have added several SDKs for use with the API that were provided by independent developers. They include: Untappd PHP SDK by Jason Austin, Untappd Go SDK by Matt Layher, Untappd Node.js SDK by Glen R. Goodwin, and Untappd Ruby SDK by Chris Mar.
Developing a Web-driven application (either mobile or browser-based) typically requires the provisioning of some server-side infrastructure as well as the development of some code to run on it. Such code will often consume APIs. But occasionally, it provide them as well. For many years, the go-to infrastructure in such situations was affectionately referred to as the LAMP stack and it primarily involved Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP, Perl or Python. But, thanks in part to Javascript’s applicability to both client and server-side scripting, there’s a another stack that’s now widely considered as an alternative to LAMP; the MEAN stack.
As this MEAN (MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS, NodeJS) stack gains in worldwide popularity, it begs the question of whether or not this is the end of LAMP? Before saying Yes or No, let’s first get to know a little bit about these two Web platforms.
It is one of the earliest stacks to get traction and the most traditional stack mode, is made up of all free, open-source software elements that work well for Dynamic web sites and applications. LAMP includes the Linux operating system, PHP application software, MySQL database and the Apache Web server. It’s flexible, easy to develop applications with, easy to deploy, customizable, secure, and comes with a huge support community. LAMP’s open source nature is also one of its greatest benefits.
Some Of The Key Variations:
The MEAN stack is a more modern stack that’s challenging the LAMP stack. It is completely JavaScript-powered. So that makes it both a time and money-saver for organizations that already have JavaScript pros writing client-side code. MEAN includes the MongoDB database, the AngularJS front-end framework, Express.js (a Web framework for Node.js; the leading JSON-powered NoSQL database that offers more flexibility than a relational SQL database), and a base platform of the Node.js runtime, rather than an operating system like Linux or Windows. One variation of the MEAN stack is the MEEN stack which substitutes the Ember.js framework for Angular JS.
There are some great reasons why many view the MEAN Stack as having the upper hand over the LAMP Stack:
Node.js lets you to write server side applications by using Javascript thereby releasing Javascript from the shackles of the web browser. Node.js is also faster and more scalable than other server side technologies including LAMP because of its non-blocking architecture.
AngularJS is an open source client-side Javascript framework that is developed and maintained by a few smart people at Google. Angular JS has been creeping into many projects for a bit while now and a few of the projects have front end parts powered by Angular JS. It has solved many development issues when making reusable, maintainable or testable client-side applications powered by Javascript. One of the great things about this framework is its powerful directives that evolve into domain-specific language, and keeping things highly testable and reusable.
MongoDB is a document-oriented database that allows you to store documents in JSON format, JSON stands for JavaScript Object Notation. MongoDB is therefore a format that JavaScript natively understands. If your server-side code is written in Javascript and your client-side applications are also in Javascript, then it makes sense to use a database with a JavaScript flavour. Given how MongoDB naturally responds in a format that’s understood by the Javascript-driven Node.js, the code it takes to serialize and deserialize data is dramatically reduced. The most vital thing to note is while you may be using Mongo for some of your projects, you don’t have to make a big blanket commitment to displace your old databases.
Relational databases like MySQL have been around for three decades and they surely have their place. It is just a matter of the application's objectives. MongoDB may be better in some cases and MySQL others. But fortunately this doesn’t affect the MEAN acronym. The “M” in “MEAN” can stand for Mongo or MySQL. Critics of the MEAN stack sometimes point out that MongoDB may work well for small to mid-sized applications, but less so for large-scale applications that must service hundreds of millions of users.
If you’re converting from a LAMP to a MEAN stack, then you will have to either rewrite your existing code into JavaScript or integrate it in an invisible way. Keep in mind that there is no one size fits all solution for Web site development, and the right size for a project’s needs depends on the users, browsers, devices, infrastructure in play, and the skills and knowledge of the development team.
| Technology | LAMP | MEAN |
|---|---|---|
| Languages | Perl/PHP/Python: Commonly used programming languages. | AngularJS: Extension of Javascript |
| Database | MySQL (RDBMS): Conventional database system | MongoDB(NoSQL database): A cross-platform document-oriented database system. JSON-style documents with dynamic schemas provide simplicity and power, making the integration of data into certain applications (particularly Javascript-based ones) fast and easy. |
| Web Server | Apache: Commonly used. | ExpressJS: is a Node.js Web application framework. It creates an MVC-like application on the server side. It also allows users to create routes and templates. |
| Servers | “LAMP” is derived from [OS]: Linux (L), Macintosh (M), or Windows (W) Apache web server (A) MySQL (M) PHP (often now also Python and Perl) (P) Apache is used to host HTTP files, MySQL for databases, and PHP/Python/Perl for Programming language used for creating dynamic webpages. | “MEAN” is derived from MongoDB (M), ExpressJS (E), AngularJS (A), and Node.js (N). Node.js is the server that runs your application. Node.js is an event-driven I/O server-side JavaScript environment. |
LAMP might become outdated in the near future. But it is not the case yet as it is still a reliable player which has established its efficiency over the years. However, the MEAN Stack is surely an innovative, new and cutting-edge technology package that will perhaps conquer the market shortly.
