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Are the APIs finally coming?


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About the time that OpenCaching announced its free lifestyle, Groundspeak also announced they would be releasing APIs in some unexplained and limited manner in Jan. of 2011. There was a follow-up note in the suggestion forums about some March roll out to certain developers. Now it is Almost May and I have yet to see much follow through on the APIs.

 

I'm very excited to see there is a bullet listed on the announcement tread for the upcoming May 4th launch (http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=273130) of "All API".

 

I have no idea to what this is referring, but it sounds API related.

 

Does anyone have some scoop on the fabled APIs?

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Correction: "All APIS" is listed in the items that will be down during the upgrade, not in a list of what is being released. That implies there are APIs out there that someone is using.

 

Does anyone know who is allowed to use the APIs and how someone can sign up to be a developer?

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About the time that OpenCaching announced its free lifestyle, Groundspeak also announced they would be releasing APIs in some unexplained and limited manner in Jan. of 2011. There was a follow-up note in the suggestion forums about some March roll out to certain developers. Now it is Almost May and I have yet to see much follow through on the APIs.

 

I'm very excited to see there is a bullet listed on the announcement tread for the upcoming May 4th launch (http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=273130) of "All API".

 

I have no idea to what this is referring, but it sounds API related.

 

Does anyone have some scoop on the fabled APIs?

Its not really fabled, Goundspeak has already released the API to "trusted partners" who are developing it as a beta. I was recently told offhand by a lackey that a well known app has now partnered with Groundspeak and is using the API.

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Didn't or does Trimble use an API for its program? Jeremy has acknowledged a couple years ago an API does exist and a reference page was available to the masses but pulled after it's existence became known. He also stated at that time the API would not be available, ever. I assumed bullet you mentioned referenced the Trimble API. There is an API being developed for the masses but when it will be available is unknown. I doubt the downtime is a factor on that API since it is not available for general use.

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I've heard rumors of the API being in use by a trusted partner from an impeccable source. One that I am very anxious to see in use.

The implication that I understood, I may have misunderstood, was that for the application I was speaking of the API is already in use.

Of course I may have totally misunderstood, it has been known to happen.

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I've heard rumors of the API being in use by a trusted partner from an impeccable source. One that I am very anxious to see in use.

Why not just say what's up?!

Probably for the same reason I didn't. Discussions among friends about events in their lives, may not mean that they intended the information to be public. I can however explain that the process is moving forward without breaking an unspoken agreement of confidentiality when things like that are discussed.

 

Or he may just enjoy being vague. YMMV

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I didn't mention the application because I am not part of the beta team and have not been given permission to talk about it. I would guess that the beta team users cannot talk about it either.

 

For what it is worth I saw a working model of the Garmin Colorado almost a year before it came out. :) Didn't talk about that one either.

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I didn't mention the application because I am not part of the beta team and have not been given permission to talk about it. I would guess that the beta team users cannot talk about it either.

 

For what it is worth I saw a working model of the Garmin Colorado almost a year before it came out. :) Didn't talk about that one either.

Its geocaching not national security. Just saying.

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Is this anything I'm going to want (or even be able to use) on a 60CSx?

 

Not directly. An API is a set of "stuff" that the developer of a computer program uses in the design of the program. In the long run, GS making the API available to developers should result in the development of better Geocaching apps.

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Is this anything I'm going to want (or even be able to use) on a 60CSx?

 

Not directly. An API is a set of "stuff" that the developer of a computer program uses in the design of the program. In the long run, GS making the API available to developers should result in the development of better Geocaching apps.

They will also be available through GSAK which means there will be improved and probably some cool macros.

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Its geocaching not national security. Just saying.

 

Guess you never heard of people wanting to protect their intellectual property, either, huh? :rolleyes:

By talking about it? That literally makes no sense.

 

Loose lips sink ships.

Alright! I can't compete with old timey rhyming!

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By talking about it? That literally makes no sense.

 

Well, if people start talking about it and the very idea/concept gets out, others can copy it before it can be protected and/or released.

In this particular case, that wouldn't apply. It's not like the idea/concept hasn't been around for ages -- just that gc.com choose not to release the specification. Talking about the existence of a thing doesn't make it available for "copying" - else it would have already happened. That's not to say that I'm surprised that someone hasn't sniffed a Trimble app (they have had access to the gc.com API for 4 years or more, haven't they?) and sorted it out already, but the existence of the Geocache Navigator application wasn't a secret, either.
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Apparently, this particular ship is hard to get a ticket to.

 

I have seen a third party, well known smartphone app running a beta of the API. Same as the others, I have not been given explicit permission to talk about it so I won't name it. But it does exist, and the API is being used by someone who does not work for Trimble or Groundspeak.......

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