Can we please have more documentation

I am working on a project that involves using the feeds module to fetch data from a web services and then import that data to drupal fields. I am using the feeds module and the web service client module https://www.drupal.org/project/wsclient and the feeds web services client module at https://www.drupal.org/project/wsclient_feeds.

for the process to work i need to configure a web service description according to the readme at http://cgit.drupalcode.org/wsclient/tree/README.txt?id=refs/heads;id2=7....

After which i will have to configure feeds. Do you have any idea how to do this. Thanks

CommentFileSizeAuthor
#5 Screen shot 2 zillow Web service operation config.JPG115.66 KBdocans
#5 Screen shot 1 zillow Web service description UI config.JPG110.26 KBdocans
#3 zillow Web service Add operation config.JPG123.49 KBdocans
#3 zillow Web service descriptions config.JPG135.68 KBdocans

Comments

docans created an issue. See original summary.

dman’s picture

dman commented

Sounds like, in general, the tools may be right.

To progress, you would need to know, understand, (and share)
* What documentation has been provided by the Web Service provider (the URL, The service docs, a working API key etc)
* What information fields you were planning to map to
* What you have succeeded in doing so far.

My advice is to start by enabling the WSClient tester module - to the point where you either get data or an error message back.
Trying to enable the feeds side before even getting any response from the server will be a failure. Get the 'test' working first so you can see your expected data (in some form) before even thinking about moving on to the feeds mapping step.

docans’s picture

docans commented
StatusFileSize
new zillow Web service descriptions config.JPG135.68 KB
new zillow Web service Add operation config.JPG123.49 KB

Hi Dman

This is what i am trying to do.
I am trying to show zillow.com listing on my website. according to the documentation here http://www.zillow.com/howto/api/APIOverview.htm , You create an account and get a key etc. I did all that, created a drupal instance installed all the needed module, but now comes the time to configure the service description for the GetSearchResults API located here http://www.zillow.com/howto/api/GetSearchResults.htm.

From the documentation above the web service url is at http://www.zillow.com/webservice/GetSearchResults.htm
there parameters to pass are
1. zws-id
2. address
3. citystatezip
4. rentzestimate

Now how do i configure the service description on the attached image as well as adding operations(image also attached), so that i can pull those result and show it on a page as well as use finds to feed it to drupal database

Thanks

dman’s picture

dman commented

Some tips

* It's a simple REST service, and there is no 'WSDL' that will allow auto-configuration, but the docs on the site at http://www.zillow.com/howto/api/GetSearchResults.htm look like they provide enough information for you to move forward with.
* you need to name and path for the operation into the 'name' and 'path' fields,
* Your API key should probably be set as a 'global service parameter'
* and for each expected parameter described in the operation API, add a parameter name and type to the WSClient UI in the fields shown in your screenshot.
* I would try a 'test' at this point, just to see how you are doing. Enable the wsclient tester and see what results it gives you for this operation.

* Configuring the returned complex 'result type' will be a bit trickier to do by hand.
* You need to 'add data type', using the button on the first page you screenshotted.
* Build that data type description, as described in "The API result set" on the doc page. http://www.zillow.com/howto/api/GetSearchResults.htm
* I would find it easier to read the provided XSD from http://www.zillow.com/static/xsd/SearchResults.xsd and build the data type provided by the formal specification there. You would start by making a 'searchresults' object, and going from there. See the WSClient docs for more.

HOWEVER
* Alternatively and easier, depending on what you are doing, you may find it easier to skip the WSClient layer altogether, and just use a single URL as the Feeds data source, and maybe just parse the results as XML using feeds_xpath_parser.
That is likely to work for you also, and is a practical alternative if
* your data source is a simple REST request,
* not transactional,
* Your parameters don't change
* and the authentication is simple.
I think you could consider just doing that - if this one query is the only operation you want to call. But if you have bigger plans, then yeah, it is worth persevering with WSClient.

NOTE: I read the Terms and Conditions for Zillow, and I would interpret the use of 'Feeds' to aggregate and store results locally on your site to be a bit of a problem there. You should take care that the Feeds storage is only done enough as is needed for remixing, sorting and indexing as is needed to build your views, and the content should be set to expire regularly (Feeds has a setting for this). Even then, you should check that you are in compliance with them.

docans’s picture

docans commented
StatusFileSize
new Screen shot 1 zillow Web service description UI config.JPG110.26 KB
new Screen shot 2 zillow Web service operation config.JPG115.66 KB

Thanks for the description but i seem to be confused in the description. I have also reviewed the terms and condition and will adhere to it.

I have attached screen shot for what i have done so far per my understanding above

Screen shot 1 show the wsclient ui config so far
Screen shot 2 shows the opreations config. On screen shot 2 i cant save because i need to ass "zws-id" but i cant cost the machine name cannot have a hyphen " - ".

On your second options using a single url as feed data source and xml feed parser. I downloaded the feeds_xpathparser module and installed it but i am lost in the configuration. attached is my feed export.

How do i proceed in each case. I have a sample site live. can you send me your email via direct drupal contact so that i can create an account for you so you can see and configure it live 

$feeds_importer = new stdClass();
$feeds_importer->disabled = FALSE; /* Edit this to true to make a default feeds_importer disabled initially */
$feeds_importer->api_version = 1;
$feeds_importer->id = 'zillow_feed';
$feeds_importer->config = array(
  'name' => 'zillow Feed',
  'description' => 'zillow feed fetch',
  'fetcher' => array(
    'plugin_key' => 'FeedsHTTPFetcher',
    'config' => array(
      'auto_detect_feeds' => 1,
      'use_pubsubhubbub' => 0,
      'designated_hub' => '',
      'request_timeout' => '',
      'auto_scheme' => 'http://www.zillow.com/webservice/GetSearchResults.htm',
      'accept_invalid_cert' => 0,
    ),
  ),
  'parser' => array(
    'plugin_key' => 'FeedsXPathParserXML',
    'config' => array(
      'sources' => array(),
      'rawXML' => array(),
      'context' => '',
      'exp' => array(
        'errors' => FALSE,
        'tidy' => FALSE,
        'debug' => array(),
        'tidy_encoding' => 'UTF8',
      ),
      'allow_override' => TRUE,
    ),
  ),
  'processor' => array(
    'plugin_key' => 'FeedsNodeProcessor',
    'config' => array(
      'expire' => '-1',
      'author' => 0,
      'authorize' => 1,
      'mappings' => array(),
      'update_existing' => '0',
      'update_non_existent' => 'skip',
      'input_format' => 'plain_text',
      'skip_hash_check' => 0,
      'bundle' => 'zillow_search_result',
    ),
  ),
  'content_type' => '',
  'update' => 0,
  'import_period' => 1800,
  'expire_period' => 3600,
  'import_on_create' => TRUE,
  'process_in_background' => FALSE,
);