Facebook Developers

We've built an API Test Console that allows you to interactively experiment with the methods available in the Facebook API. Now you can see the functionality the API makes available without writing a single line of code.

To use the console, select the method you wish to call and supply any required parameters. You'll be able to see the response just as you would if you were writing your own app. We even provide two response formats: XML and PHP. This way, you can simulate using the Facebook PHP Client Library. Be sure to be logged into Facebook before trying out the Test Console.

One caveat is that identifiers used in the console won't work in normal apps. This means that your user ID displayed in the test console will be invalid in your own app (and vice-versa - the console will reject IDs from other apps as well).

We're hoping that allowing you to play around with the API and directly view the format of method responses will make it easier to get started building your own app. Give it a try >

Tonight we fixed a bug in the API involving UTF8 encoding. Client developers are encouraged to look out for changes in the way the API sends out non-ASCII characters, and developers using a client library should look out for updates to their library. In particular, if you are using Facebook's PHP5 client, we have posted an update, which in addition to supporting the new encoding has also been cleaned up a bit.

Facebook is all about reponsibly managing your information, and the Facebook Development Platform serves to extend a user's Facebook experience to any outside application, while they have an active session.

Following the increased session timeouts for both web- and desktop-based apps, the Developer TOS has been updated to reflect this. Again, outside applications may make use of select user data for the duration of this session.

Also remember - users expect the same privacy guarantees they enjoy on Facebook. If a piece of data is protected by our privacy controls when a user is on Facebook, Development Platform apps should respect that privacy when creating their experience as well. As a reminder, we've clarified the Developer TOS for you.

Happy hacking, and expect some very useful updates soon.