Announce: Emulating Blogger in Manila

[Dave Winer]

One week ago, last Friday, I started work on bloggerApi.root, a guest
database that, when installed alongside manila.root, implements support for
the Blogger API [1] in Manila. While I was in Colorado, while the Jabber
guys were breaking through with Blogger, Jake was finishing bloggerApi.root.

We did it in two steps. First, we implemented a set of ManilaRPC methods
that do functionally what the Blogger API does. (Docs will follow on these).
Then we implemented connective glue in bloggerApi.root that calls these
methods, and deployed it quietly on all our servers. We then told the Jabber
guys how to call it. It worked. So now we're ready to release this code to
Frontier developers.

OK, here's the first pointer [2]. A Manila site that we're opening to the
public for testing the Blogger API running in Manila. I created a new
account for a fictitious user named John Q. Public. Next step is to release
an example script that creates a new post, edits it, creates another, and
deletes it.

Now the next pointer. Emulating Blogger in Manila [3]. On that page you'll
find a link to bloggerApi.root, and an explanation of how the Blogger API is
implemented in Manila. This is important if you're running Manila sites or
if you're implementing the client side of the Blogger API and want to work
with Manila. The interface is transparent, Manila works exactly as Blogger
does, but if you're making assumptions about blogId's and postId's you may
want to see how they work in Manila. Also others who are cloning the Blogger
API may want to look here for prior art.

Also this message is an introduction to various communities to the
Jabber-RPC mail list [4], which is driving much of this work. My head is
spinning with all the combinations that are opening up. I want to thank both
Blogger and Jabber for the Many Mind Bombs (MMBs) that are now erupting in
my head. This is why I do software, and why collaborative development is so
much fun. Thanks!

Dave

[1] http://plant.blogger.com/api/
[2] http://bloggerapitest.manilasites.com/
[3] http://frontier.userland.com/emulatingBloggerInManila
[4] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jabber-rpc