Course Planner Book Links and Share Bar

Nov 17 2013

First up on the list is the bad news: the old share bar is permanently gone as Google has shut it down. That’s right! Google has shut down a competitor’s service after buying it. At least the meebo team is honest and left us a message:

Meebo was acquired by Google on June 4, 2012.

Our team is now working just a few miles down the road with the Google+ team, where we continue to focus on creating delightful experiences for our users, developers, and publishers.

Meebo’s products are no longer available, but you can find all the latest and greatest things that we’re working on at https://developers.google.com/+/.

Thanks,
The Meebo Team

Elsewhere on the internet, you can find news reports about the shutdown. That gives credence to the “Google is Evil” motto.

On the course explorer side, there has recently been a change to Amazon’s Ecommerce API, breaking code for getting book titles and URLs that I wrote several years ago. Basically, most of the responses returned changed from single item ones to

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ItemLookupResponse xmlns="http://webservices.amazon.com/AWSECommerceService/2011-08-01">
<OperationRequest>
    <RequestId>cd6bd87d-046c-4a07-a99e-16fc600ebe31</RequestId>
    <Arguments>
        <Argument Name="Operation" Value="ItemLookup"/>
        <Argument Name="Service" Value="AWSECommerceService"/>
        <Argument Name="AssociateTag" Value="yuguzhan-20"/>
        <Argument Name="SearchIndex" Value="Books"/>
        <Argument Name="Signature" Value="a6ZCkXLOYFw8xTYH8gaBl/K5YGeTlQdGxtDKwY2YuaU="/>
        <Argument Name="ItemId" Value="9780470392164"/>
        <Argument Name="IdType" Value="ISBN"/>
        <Argument Name="AWSAccessKeyId" Value="AKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA"/>
        <Argument Name="Timestamp" Value="2013-11-17T19:21:08.000Z"/>
    </Arguments>
    <RequestProcessingTime>0.0220990000000000</RequestProcessingTime>
</OperationRequest>
<Items>
    <Request>
        <IsValid>True</IsValid>
        <ItemLookupRequest>
            <IdType>ISBN</IdType>
            <ItemId>9780470392164</ItemId>
            <ResponseGroup>Small</ResponseGroup>
            <SearchIndex>Books</SearchIndex>
            <VariationPage>All</VariationPage>
        </ItemLookupRequest>
    </Request>
    <Item>
        <ASIN>0470392169</ASIN>
        <DetailPageURL>http://www.amazon.ca/How-Read-Proofs-Introduction-Mathematical/dp/0470392169%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA%26tag%3Dyuguzhan-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0470392169</DetailPageURL>
        <ItemLinks>
            <ItemLink>
                <Description>Add To Wishlist</Description>
                <URL>http://www.amazon.ca/gp/registry/wishlist/add-item.html%3Fasin.0%3D0470392169%26SubscriptionId%3DAKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA%26tag%3Dyuguzhan-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D386005%26creativeASIN%3D0470392169</URL>
            </ItemLink>
            <ItemLink>
                <Description>Tell A Friend</Description>
                <URL>http://www.amazon.ca/gp/pdp/taf/0470392169%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA%26tag%3Dyuguzhan-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D386005%26creativeASIN%3D0470392169</URL>
            </ItemLink>
            <ItemLink>
                <Description>All Customer Reviews</Description>
                <URL>http://www.amazon.ca/review/product/0470392169%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA%26tag%3Dyuguzhan-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D386005%26creativeASIN%3D0470392169</URL>
            </ItemLink>
            <ItemLink>
                <Description>All Offers</Description>
                <URL>http://www.amazon.ca/gp/offer-listing/0470392169%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA%26tag%3Dyuguzhan-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D386005%26creativeASIN%3D0470392169</URL>
            </ItemLink>
        </ItemLinks>
        <ItemAttributes>
            <Author>Daniel Solow</Author>
            <Manufacturer>Wiley</Manufacturer>
            <ProductGroup>Book</ProductGroup>
            <Title>How to Read and Do Proofs: An Introduction to Mathematical Thought Processes</Title>
        </ItemAttributes>
    </Item>
</Items>
</ItemLookupResponse>

to multiple item ones

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ItemLookupResponse xmlns="http://webservices.amazon.com/AWSECommerceService/2011-08-01">
<OperationRequest>
    <RequestId>cc114a2f-75e9-419a-81a4-fc7e98f6df13</RequestId>
    <Arguments>
        <Argument Name="Service" Value="AWSECommerceService"/>
        <Argument Name="Operation" Value="ItemLookup"/>
        <Argument Name="Signature" Value="cfstltrmlmtQHrzz5s9t130uhLWZFG3Y7It9EqBQ/pA="/>
        <Argument Name="AssociateTag" Value="yuguzhan-20"/>
        <Argument Name="ItemId" Value="9780201350883"/>
        <Argument Name="IdType" Value="ISBN"/>
        <Argument Name="AWSAccessKeyId" Value="AKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA"/>
        <Argument Name="Timestamp" Value="2013-11-17T19:19:46.000Z"/>
        <Argument Name="SearchIndex" Value="Books"/>
    </Arguments>
    <RequestProcessingTime>0.0407320000000000</RequestProcessingTime>
</OperationRequest>
<Items>
    <Request>
        <IsValid>True</IsValid>
        <ItemLookupRequest>
            <IdType>ISBN</IdType>
            <ItemId>9780201350883</ItemId>
            <ResponseGroup>Small</ResponseGroup>
            <SearchIndex>Books</SearchIndex>
            <VariationPage>All</VariationPage>
        </ItemLookupRequest>
    </Request>
    <Item>
        <ASIN>0201350882</ASIN>
        <DetailPageURL>http://www.amazon.ca/Algorithms-Parts-1-4-Fundamentals-Structure/dp/0201350882%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA%26tag%3Dyuguzhan-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0201350882</DetailPageURL>
        <ItemLinks>
            <ItemLink>
                <Description>Add To Wishlist</Description>
                <URL>http://www.amazon.ca/gp/registry/wishlist/add-item.html%3Fasin.0%3D0201350882%26SubscriptionId%3DAKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA%26tag%3Dyuguzhan-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D386005%26creativeASIN%3D0201350882</URL>
            </ItemLink>
            <ItemLink>
                <Description>Tell A Friend</Description>
                <URL>http://www.amazon.ca/gp/pdp/taf/0201350882%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA%26tag%3Dyuguzhan-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D386005%26creativeASIN%3D0201350882</URL>
            </ItemLink>
            <ItemLink>
                <Description>All Customer Reviews</Description>
                <URL>http://www.amazon.ca/review/product/0201350882%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA%26tag%3Dyuguzhan-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D386005%26creativeASIN%3D0201350882</URL>
            </ItemLink>
            <ItemLink>
                <Description>All Offers</Description>
                <URL>http://www.amazon.ca/gp/offer-listing/0201350882%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA%26tag%3Dyuguzhan-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D386005%26creativeASIN%3D0201350882</URL>
            </ItemLink>
        </ItemLinks>
        <ItemAttributes>
            <Author>Robert Sedgewick</Author>
            <Manufacturer>Addison-Wesley Professional</Manufacturer>
            <ProductGroup>Book</ProductGroup>
            <Title>Algorithms in C++, Parts 1-4: Fundamentals, Data Structure, Sorting, Searching (3rd Edition)</Title>
        </ItemAttributes>
    </Item>
    <Item>
        <ASIN>B001FWIJFA</ASIN>
        <DetailPageURL>http://www.amazon.ca/Algorithms-Parts-1-4-Fundamentals-Structure-ebook/dp/B001FWIJFA%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA%26tag%3Dyuguzhan-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB001FWIJFA</DetailPageURL>
        <ItemLinks>
            <ItemLink>
                <Description>Add To Wishlist</Description>
                <URL>http://www.amazon.ca/gp/registry/wishlist/add-item.html%3Fasin.0%3DB001FWIJFA%26SubscriptionId%3DAKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA%26tag%3Dyuguzhan-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D386005%26creativeASIN%3DB001FWIJFA</URL>
            </ItemLink>
            <ItemLink>
                <Description>Tell A Friend</Description>
                <URL>http://www.amazon.ca/gp/pdp/taf/B001FWIJFA%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA%26tag%3Dyuguzhan-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D386005%26creativeASIN%3DB001FWIJFA</URL>
            </ItemLink>
            <ItemLink>
                <Description>All Customer Reviews</Description>
                <URL>http://www.amazon.ca/review/product/B001FWIJFA%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA%26tag%3Dyuguzhan-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D386005%26creativeASIN%3DB001FWIJFA</URL>
            </ItemLink>
            <ItemLink>
                <Description>All Offers</Description>
                <URL>http://www.amazon.ca/gp/offer-listing/B001FWIJFA%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIZLBWTLA3LJJZ2MA%26tag%3Dyuguzhan-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D386005%26creativeASIN%3DB001FWIJFA</URL>
            </ItemLink>
        </ItemLinks>
        <ItemAttributes>
            <Author>Robert Sedgewick</Author>
            <Manufacturer>Addison-Wesley Professional</Manufacturer>
            <ProductGroup>eBooks</ProductGroup>
            <Title>Algorithms in C++, Parts 1-4: Fundamentals, Data Structure, Sorting, Searching (3rd Edition)</Title>
        </ItemAttributes>
    </Item>
</Items>
</ItemLookupResponse>

As with many of these bugs, they are easy to fix once cause of the problem is found. If you know XML, an exercise for you is to spot the difference between the top one and the bottom one.

Related posts:

  1. Course Planner Wikipedia Links
  2. The Mind and the Machine: the Book
  3. Course Planner Authentication Libraries
Tags: ,

No responses yet