Facebook Connect PHP toolkit is PHP library specialized for development of Facebook Connect websites and Facebook iFrame applications. Both types of web applications are based on the same technology - Facebook Graph API and XFBML. Facebook Connect PHP Toolkit is a set of PHP classes used to provide an easy and fast way to integrate the most common Facebook UI features (like Invite Friends, Stream Publish, Login Button, Extended Permissions...) using the pure PHP code. Each control is documented in detail, with descriptions of all properties, code examples and demo pages. The value of the toolkit is not in its library alone, it is also an excellent resource of knowledge. By reading the source code of examples, you can spare big amounts of your precious time, and jump up in the learning curve, avoiding days of googling and reading forums.
Facebook Graph API Initialization
With the Toolkit you can initialize Facebook Graph API and XFBML with just 3 lines of code. All you have to do is to copy Facebook keys, which were given to you from Developer application during new application creation, and paste them in just one place in the code. PHP method from the toolkit takes Facebook keys and creates all Facebook Graph API JavaScript code needed for initialization. The following code is an example of initialization: the first line includes official Facebook PHP library, the second line includes complete toolkit and the third one makes complete initialization of Facebook Graph API JavaScript SDK and XFBML.
require_once 'facebook.php';
require_once 'faceconn/faceconn.php';
UseGraphAPI();
Component List Implementation
Facebook Connect PHP Toolkit contains a list of the most used features for Facebook Connect integration. Each component is a class, which is wrapper around Facebook Graph API JavaScript code and/or XFBML tags. Classes are implemented to provide easy-to-use interface to full set of features and to require minimal number of lines of pure PHP code for configuration. By using the controls, code is much cleaner and easier to maintain. Facebook API is still evolving and changing rapidly, with breaking changes that come every couple of months. Basic principles from object oriented design, like decoupling interface from implementation, used in these classes make development of applications in Facebook Connect PHP Toolkit much more independent from these changes in API. It is much easier to just install new version of the toolkit, then to make changes in every place of the code, just to be compliant with new and changed Facebook API. This becomes even more evident if have more than one Facebook application or Facebook Connect website. The following example demonstrates how to include Facebook Invite Friends Facebook Invite Friends feature with a just couple of lines of code.
$invite1 = new InviteFriends();
$invite1->SetMainTitle("Main title");
$invite1->SetContent("Content");
$invite1->Render();
Facebook Connect Starter Kit
Every start to a new technology is a difficult one, so to kick-start the development of Facebook Connect websites in PHP, the toolkit comes in a package that contains a demo application too. It contains examples on how to use each component from the toolkit. The demo application is made in a very simple way, to better illustrate to the reader the essential parts, without unnecessary design elements. It also contains an example code of how to get user's data and data of user's friends by using of Facebook Graph API. Check out the Demo Application.
Documentation
The documentation is structured in couple of sections. They cover whole array of topics required for successful development on Facebook platform, whether the toolkit is used for Facebook Connect websites or for Facebook iFrame applications. It begins with topics on how to correctly set new Facebook application in Facebook's Developer application, depending on the type of application (Facebook Connect website or Facebook iFrame application). Then it continues with instructions on how to install and initialize Facebook Connect PHP toolkit and official Facebook Graph API library in your PHP web application project. Each component from the toolkit is covered in detail, with descriptions of every method, code examples and pictures that show how these controls from the examples look like. There is also a section about the most used Facebook Graph API calls and data structures of objects returned from these calls. Read about all of this at Facebook Connect PHP Toolkit tutorial.
Licensing
A license of Facebook Connect PHP Toolkit includes all source code of the toolkit and the demo application. It is allowed to change the code and customize it for particular purposes. The license is valid for one website or one Facebook application only. It is not allowed to share the toolkit to unregistered users or to use it on any other website or Facebook application which is not registered. Such activities violate rights of intellectual property and they are strictly prohibited. To find out all details about licensing and pricing, look at Facebook Connect PHP Toolkit License.
