Xavier Legros
Director, Product
Yahoo! Application Platform
Writing Apps for Yahoo! Homepage
Agenda
• Apps on Yahoo! What is YAP?
• Programming Model
• Getting Started
• App Submission and Review
Apps on Y! Homepage: What is YAP?
• Apps are a bundle of views:• Small View and Canvas View
• Apps can be installed on:• Apps.yahoo.com
• My.yahoo.com
• www.yahoo.com
• Toolbar (coming soon!)
• Apps are intl ready• Install flows localized in 27 languages
Apps on Y! Homepage: Small View
Apps on Y! Homepage: Small View
460 px
400 px
Apps on Y! Homepage: Small View
• Small View:• Cached, needs to be fast
• Supports only: Html, Inline css, YML
• Can be pushed programmatically• SetSmallView(guid, newYML)
• Can be updated with fresh content• yml:include fetches new data from your
servers
Apps on Y! Homepage: Canvas View
460px
750 px
Apps on Y! Homepage: Canvas View
• Loads external URL from your server
• Support for:• Open social 0.8 (JS & REST)
• YML, CSS, HTML, JS
• Runs in an iFrame with Caja
• Yahoo! SDK for Php and AS3
PROGRAMMING MODEL
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YAP: Programming Model - Accessing User Data
• Guid– Unique identifier for a user
– Public info, can be stored on your servers
• Consumer Key / Secret– Specifies “API Scopes”
– Enables to query Yahoo! WS
– Necessary for OAuth 1.1 authentication
– Automatically created for you in devTool
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Social Platforms: Available APIs
• Social Directory: One Social Graph– Contacts, connections & profile data
• Updates– Syndicate user content & activity
• Presence– Read, write presence
• SDK simplifies access
• Make it easy: YQL
YAP: Programming Model - Caja
• Why Caja:– Secure 3rd party JS
– Source-to-source translator for securing Javascript
• YML and OpenSocial are whitelisted
• Careful with your JS– No document.write allowed
– Documenting behaviors to help
YAP: Programming Model - Caja
• First Preview of YUI 2.8• Check it out on preview.apps.yahoo.com
• Work in progress!
• YUI Core, Connections Manager, Some of the widgets/controls are available
• Check out documentation for more info
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YML: Yummy Language To Get You Started
• Enables you to get cool features fast– <yml:a view=”Full” params=”prefs.php”/>
• Enables ajaxy behaviors in SmallView
– <yml:include>• Enables to load fresh content once SmallView is loaded
– <yml:swf src=”myswf.swf”/>
– <yml:profile-pic uid=”XXX”>
– <yml:name uid=”viewer”/>
– <yml:ad/>
– <yml:message/> • Send Messages to users
PROGRAMMING MODEL
What if I don’t have my own servers?
Introducing Joyent
• Joyent is a Cloud Computing Company
• Sign up today!
http://signup.joyent.com/yahoo_signup
• Folks are here to answer any questions:
• Rod Boothby, VP Bus Dev
• James Duncan, VP Product
PROMOTING YOUR APP
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App Life Cycle
• Application can be in 3 states• Development
• Live
• Indexed
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App Life Cycle: Development
• Only developer can access app
• Preview only of app
• App can not:• Be shared
• Accessed through apps.yahoo.com/-appid
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App Life Cycle: Live
• App is not available on apps.yahoo.com
• Can be shared
• Can be installed in homepage, My etc..
• App is :• NOT searchable
• NIOT available in the galleries
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App Life Cycle: Indexed
• App has been submitted for review• through the devTool and accepted
• App is available for search in My
• App can be highlighted in homepage
• When available apps will be present in category browsing
• homepage and My
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What? My app can be highlighted on yahoo.com?
What makes a cool app:
• Make sure all metadata is present:• Great icons, screenshots
• Test your canvas view• Encourage users to share your app
• Generate vitality when appropriate
• Create public profile page• Encourage users to give feedback
• Advertise feedback page in app
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What? My app can be highlighted on yahoo.com?
What makes a cool app?
• Enticing SmallView:• Offer great first experience
• Shortcut type view, make it relevant
• Make it social
• Use yml:include et yml:a
• Put all your css in default smallView
PROMOTING APPS
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App Promotion
Promote your apps on and off yahoo:
• adReady Solution available today!
• Promote apps for as little as $30 per day• Choose property
• Choose demographic
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App Promotion
Promote your apps off Yahoo!• Use “Add to Yahoo!” buttons
• Use yahoo.com/add?yapid=YourAppId
• Check documentation
In App promotion:
• Leverage yml:share, yml:message
WHAT’S NEXT?
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What’s next?
More places to install apps:
• Toolbar coming before eoy
More technologies:
• Full gadget xml support in Q1
• Full Open Social support
More Viral Channels:
• Support for address book in yml:share, yml:message
SUMMARY
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App Promotion
Start writing an App for yahoo.com now!• Developer.yahoo.com/yap
Leverage viral channels:
• yml:share, yml:message
Don’t forget to create cool experiences
• SmallView
• Canvas View
Thanks & Happy HackingXavier Legros
