Plings Input API - XML via HTTP POST

From Plings Info

URL: http://feeds.plings.net/services/plings-in.php?APIKey= (More about API Keys)

The Plings Input API - XML via HTTP POST is a method aimed primarily at submitting 'Activities' to Plings in large batches.

To update activities using this method, re-post the data with the updates. You can move the activity to another 'Venue' or 'Organisation' using this method, but you cannot update 'Venue' or 'Organisation' data in this way.

Schema

The required XML is composed of (up to) 6 of the following data entities.

• Activity (required) - which can contain any of the entities below
  • Venue (required)
  • Organisation (Activity Provider)
  • Categories
  • Keywords
  • ECMCodes
  • ActivityTypeCodes

Please Note:

1. The XML must have an 'Activity' entity, which must contain a 'Venue' entitiy.
2. Each 'Activity' must have an 'Organisation' associated with it. 'Organisation' can be explicitly specified, else it will be assigned to the organisation registered to the API key that submits the data.
3. Categories, Keywords, and ECMCodes are optional.
4. ActivityTypeCodes is a dormant entity and can be ignored for now.

Activity

Please Note: LinkWithActivity, LinkWithActivitySourceID

These fields are for when you would like to relate two or more activities to each other,

e.g. Dance takes place at the same time and same place each week, over a six week period.

When we recall this data to show it to the public it allows us to also display related activities.

If an activity is already known to Plings, then you can provide that ActivityID in the LinkWithActivity field, but we recommend that you use the LinkWithActivitySourceID field.

Example: Example_Code_HTTP_POST#Grouped.2FLinked_Activities

Venue

Venue Notes If this is the first time that you are telling us about a Venue from within the Activity schema, you will need to complete all the required fields. The next time you need to tell us about that venue (even in the same batch of data), just send the 'ProviderVenueID' as shown below.

   <Venue>
       <ProviderVenueID>ABC123</ProviderVenueID>
   </Venue>

Organisation

Also known as: ActivityProvider, DataProvider, Organisation
Organisation Notes
If this is the first time that you are telling us about an 'Organisation'/'ActivityProvider' from within the Activity schema, you will need to complete all the required fields. The next time you need to tell us about that 'Organisation'/'ActivityProvider' (even in the same batch of data), just send the 'DPProviderID' as shown below.

   <ActivityProvider>
       <DPProviderID>XYZ987</DPProviderID>
   </ActivityProvider>

About Contact Details
An organisation may under certain circumstances not want to publish the main address of the contact person. Therefore only one of: email, address, or phone is required. To specify an address, we require 2 fields, 'BuildingNameNo' and 'Postcode'

Categories

Updated 04/01/10 Categories can contain multiple Category elements

<Categories>
 <category tax="dscf">mobile</category>
 <category tax="plings">Art</category>
 <category tax="myownmadeuptaxonomy">plaster of paris</category>
 <category tax="IPSV" id="5340">Decathlon"</category>
<Categories>

'Please Note: To enter more than one value at a time, add each value as another instance of this field.
Example: Example_Code_HTTP_POST#No_value_for_VenueID

Keywords

Please Note: To enter more than one value at a time, add each value as another instance of this field.
Example: Example_Code_HTTP_POST#No_value_for_VenueID

ECMCodes

Please Note: To enter more than one value at a time (up to a maximun of 5), add each value as another instance of this field.
Example: Example_Code_HTTP_POST#No_value_for_VenueID

ActivityTypeCodes

Please Note: To enter more than one value at a time, add each value as another instance of this field.

Code Examples

Example Code for the HTTP POST method can be found at Example Code HTTP POST