Mining eBay web services : building applications with the eBay API

422 Pages·2004·7.26 MB·English

by  John Mueller

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John Paul Mueller
(cid:1) Mining eBay®Web Services:
Building Applications with the eBay API
Sybex
San Francisco • London
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Associate Publisher: Joel Fugazzotto
Acquisitions and Developmental Editor: Tom Cirtin
Production Editor: Leslie E.H. Light
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Library of Congress Card Number: 2004104104
ISBN: 0-7821-4339-3
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This book is dedicated to Matt Wagner—a source
of encouragement in troubled times and a voice of
reason when things go wrong, a friend in
weather foul and fair.
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Acknowledgments
T
hanks to my wife, Rebecca, for working with me to get this book completed. I really don’t
know what I would have done without her help in researching and compiling some of the
information that appears in this book. She also did a fine job of proofreading my rough draft
and page proofing the result.
Russ Mullen deserves thanks for his technical edit of this book. He greatly added to the
accuracy and depth of the material you see here. Russ is always providing me with great URLs
for new products and ideas. I also appreciated his hard work in testing endless versions of
applications and providing input in my ideas. This book is technically challenging in that it
relies on a number of programming languages, new and evolving technology, and several new
products. Russ met the challenge with an efficiency that few other people could match.
eBay was very helpful in putting this book together. I don’t know everyone from eBay who
worked on this book, but I can thank those that I do know by name. Gary Downing made
many introductions and acted as eBay’s ambassador for the book. Michael Knopp provided a
great many helpful comments and personal insights into eBay. I know that the book is much
better for all of the help I received from these and other individuals from eBay.
A number of people read all or part of this book to help me refine the approach and to test
the examples on a number of systems. These unpaid volunteers helped in ways too numerous
to mention here. I especially appreciate the efforts of Eva Beattie who read the entire book
and selflessly devoted herself to this project. Mike and Jody Cummings of The Treasure Mill
provided me with training on using eBay in a real world business environment, helped me
understand some of the nuances of the bidding process, and generally provided their expertise
on a decidedly complex environment. Alessandro Vernet provided a variety of helpful tips
and hints. Osvaldo Téllez Almirall provided extensive input on international issues, making
the book much better suited to international needs as a result. David Clark helped with
accessibility, user interface, and PHP development issues.
Matt Wagner, my agent, deserves credit for helping me get the contract in the first place
and taking care of all the details that most authors don’t really consider. I always appreciate
his help. It’s good to know that someone wants to help.
Finally, I would like to thank Tom Cirtin, Leslie Light, Cheryl Hauser, and the rest of the
editorial and production staff at Sybex for their assistance in bringing this book to print. It’s
always nice to work with such a great group of professionals and I very much appreciate the
friendship we have built over the last three books.
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction xx
Part I Discovering eBay Web Services 1
Chapter 1: Learning about eBay Web Services 3
Chapter 2: Using eBay Web Services to Your Advantage 25
Chapter 3: Defining a Search 47
Chapter 4: Working with Web Service Data 63
Part II Writing eBay Web Services Programs 95
Chapter 5: Starting the Development Process 97
Chapter 6: Writing Browser-Based Applications 121
Chapter 7: Writing Applications Using VBA 143
Chapter 8: Writing Applications Using Visual Studio 171
Chapter 9: Writing Applications Using PHP 215
Chapter 10: Writing Applications Using Java 239
Chapter 11: Writing Applications for Mobile Devices 261
Part III Refining Your eBay Web Services Program 281
Chapter 12: Crafting Your Application 283
Chapter 13: Considering User Needs 297
Chapter 14: Other Refinements You Should Consider 313
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Appendices
Appendix A: Helpful Third Party Resource Sites 331
Appendix B: eBay License Checklist 337
Appendix C: Late Breaking eBay Web Services News 345
Glossary 359
Index 381
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Contents
Introduction xx
Part I Discovering eBay Web Services 1
Chapter 1 Learning about eBay Web Services 3
Understanding the eBay Web Services 4
What Is a Web Service? 4
How Do Web Services Work? 6
Considering the Usage Requirements 7
What Is Sandbox Mode? 9
Discovering Uses for the eBay Web Services 9
Buying Products 10
Selling and Relisting Products 10
Determining Product Facts 11
Discovering Product Payment and Shipping Methods 12
Giving and Receiving Feedback 12
Learning about a Store 13
Working with User Information 13
Performing Research 13
Creating an Offline Archive 14
Downloading and Installing the Kit 15
Determining Which Licensing Level Is Best 15
Becoming an eBay Developer Program Member 17
Obtaining Your License 18
Performing the Download 18
Installing the Kit 18
System Setup Considerations 20
Understanding Connectivity Requirements 20
Programming Setups for the Non-Developer 21
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Contents ❘ xiii
Considering the User 22
Using Multiple Test Devices 23
Emulating the Real World 24
Your Call to Action 24
Chapter 2 Using eBay Web Services to Your Advantage 25
Knowing What to Expect As Output 26
Limitations of eBay Web Services Output 26
Making Sensible Queries 29
Defining Static and Dynamic Data 30
Understanding the Certification Requirements 31
Creating a Test User 32
Working in Sandbox Mode 34
Getting Your Application Certified 35
Working with Some Simple Examples 37
Understanding the Example Types 37
Using a Browser Example 38
Viewing the XSLT Example 39
Viewing the Desktop Example 40
Viewing the Pocket PC Example 41
Manipulating Data to Meet Specific Needs 42
Understanding Data Transformation Requirements 43
Viewing the eBay Examples 44
Using the PERL Example 44
Your Call to Action 46
Chapter 3 Defining a Search 47
Performing a Typical Search 48
Adding Search Conditions 50
Using an Advanced Search 50
Using Other Special Search Techniques 52
Considering the URL Search Form 55
Understanding the Developer Search Options 58
Changing the Presentation 59
Localizing the Information 60
Your Call to Action 60