Presentation for the Silicon Valley Code Camp on October 9, 2011. Walks through tutorial on how to create a search application using LinkedIn's Javascript API, and explains a more complicated faceted application made using this API.

1. Building Professional
Applications with the
LinkedIn API
Kirsten Jones
Developer Advocate
LinkedIn
@synedra
http://developer.linkedin.com

2. LinkedIn Platform
• Leading platform for building the professional
web
• Professional profile of record
• Committed to building a healthy developer
ecosystem
http://developer.linkedin.com

3. Javascript API
•Javascript API
•Simple Authentication
•Convenience Methods for Common
Tasks
•Easy and Quick to Implement

4. What are we building?
http://developer.linkedin.com

5. How will we get there?
• Get an API key
• Basic setup
• Build a basic search
• Build a faceted search
• Hand wave through UI stuff
http://developer.linkedin.com

6. Follow Along
http://tinyurl.com/linkedin-svcc
http://developer.linkedin.com

7. API Key
• Every application needs one
• For Javascript API, bound to a single
domain
• “Easy” to get
http://developer.linkedin.com

8. Developer Portal
https://developer.linkedin.com
http://developer.linkedin.com

9. Application List
http://developer.linkedin.com

10. New Application (part 1)
Company
Application Name
Description
Javascript API Domain
Application Use
http://developer.linkedin.com

11. New Application (part 2)
Developer Contact Email
Phone
Agree
Add Application
http://developer.linkedin.com

12. Et Voila!
http://developer.linkedin.com

13. Application Setup
http://tinyurl.com/linkedin-svcc
http://developer.linkedin.com

14. Super Basic Setup
Framework
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.linkedin.com/in.js">
api_key: your_api_key_goes_here
</script>
Login Button
<script type="IN/Login"></script>
http://developer.linkedin.com

15. Search Tutorial
http://developer.linkedinlabs.com/tutorials/jsapi_search/
(to cheat, scroll to the bottom)
http://developer.linkedin.com

16. Search Tutorial Setup
Framework
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.linkedin.com/in.js">
api_key: your_api_key_goes_here
authenticate: true
</script>
Login Button
<script type="IN/Login" data‐onAuth= "loadData" ></script>
http://developer.linkedin.com

17. People Search Call
IN.API.PeopleSearch()
.result(function(result) {
alert(JSON.stringify(result))
} )
Output
{
{"numResults":79852,
"people":{
"values":[{
"headline":"President of the United States of America",
"id":"zto_q2QQV0",
"lastName":"Obama",
"pictureUrl":"http://media.linkedin.com/mpr/mprx/
0_utI7LgNiqw5Vy87q2qVrL0XDq7rEYQxqar0rL0XjIEXsTGeNhNR_wxK1V3KvjTY4SldloZ9hVtZL",
"firstName":"Barack"
},
...]},
"_total": 1100
}
http://developer.linkedin.com

18. Adding Parameters
IN.API.PeopleSearch()
.params({"keywords": "princess", "count": 10, "sort": "distance"})
.result(function(result) {
alert(JSON.stringify(result))
} )
{
{"numResults":31247,
"people":{
"_count":10,
"_start":0,
"_total":1100,
"values":[{
"headline":"Developer Advocate at LinkedIn",
"id":"G0uYndFs07",
"lastName":"Jones",
"pictureUrl":"http://media.linkedin.com/mpr/mprx/0_8LXTPUg_‐
zq6MqhxhCFtP4mpKv_nUBhxGbrOPJYy7KBQk1c02iqSjMotYRiW4K3PT66xyY8wEb9q",
"firstName":"Kirsten"
},
...]},
"_total": 1100
}
http://developer.linkedin.com

19. Profile Fields
• http://developer.linkedin.com/
documents/profile-fields
• Default fields can change (be explicit)
• studlyCaps instead of
hyphenated-fields
• firstName, lastName, pictureUrl
http://developer.linkedin.com

20. Field Selectors
IN.API.PeopleSearch()
.fields("firstName", "lastName", "pictureUrl")
.params({"keywords": "princess", "count": 10, "sort": "distance"})
.result(function(result) {
alert(JSON.stringify(result));
});
{
{"numResults":31247,
"people":{
"_count":10,
"_start":0,
"_total":1100,
"values":[{
"distance":"0",
"lastName":"Jones",
"pictureUrl":"http://media.linkedin.com/mpr/mprx/0_8LXTPUg_‐
zq6MqhxhCFtP4mpKv_nUBhxGbrOPJYy7KBQk1c02iqSjMotYRiW4K3PT66xyY8wEb9q",
"firstName":"Kirsten"
},
...]},
"_total": 1100
}
http://developer.linkedin.com

21. Finished Search App
http://developer.linkedinlabs.com/tutorials/
jsapi_search/example.html
http://developer.linkedin.com

22. Search Facets
• Request facets
for a member’s
network
• Use facets to
hone search
requests
http://developer.linkedin.com

23. Is there a Javascript
Convenience Method for
this?
http://developer.linkedin.com

24. Is there a Javascript
Convenience Method for
this?
http://developer.linkedin.com

25. Kick it up
a Notch!
http://developer.linkedin.com

26. Raw REST Calls
• Reach through to our powerful REST
API
• Leverage authentication
• Deep integration
• IN.API.Raw(REST_Url)
http://developer.linkedin.com

27. REST People Search
Javascript version
IN.API.PeopleSearch()
.fields("firstName", "lastName", "pictureUrl")
.params({"keywords": "princess", "count": 10, "sort": "distance"})
.result(function(result) {
alert(JSON.stringify(result));
});
REST version
http://api.linkedin.com/v1/people‐search:(people:(first‐name,last‐
name,picture‐url))?keywords=princess&count=10&sort=distance
http://developer.linkedin.com

28. Get the Facets for the
Member’s Network
http://api.linkedin.com/v1/people‐search?facets=school
{
"facets": {
"_total": 1,
"values": [{
"buckets": {
"_total": 11,
"values": [
{
"code": "17939",
"count": 4196,
"name": "University of California, Berkeley",
"selected": false
},
...
]
},
"code": "school",
"name": "School"
}]
},
http://developer.linkedin.com

29. People matching a facet
http://api.linkedin.com/v1/people‐search?facet=school,17939
{
"numResults": 4196,
"people": {
"_count": 10,
"_start": 0,
"_total": 1100,
"values": [
{
"firstName": "Brian",
"id": "2tfN8CFi1c",
"lastName": "Karlak"
},
...
]
}
}
http://developer.linkedin.com

30. Field Selectors
• Default values for profiles can change
• Use explicit fields
• “Reach inside” to get more details
about requested items
http://developer.linkedin.com

31. Building the
Search Request
Profile Information
people:(
first‐name,
last‐name,
picture‐url
)
Parameters
facet=school,17939
count=1
Request
http://api.linkedin.com/v1/people‐search:(people:(first‐name,last‐
name,picture‐url))?facet=school,17939&count=1
http://developer.linkedin.com

32. Putting it Together
Request
IN.API.Raw("/people‐search:(people:(first‐name,last‐name,picture‐url))?
facet=school,17939&count=1")
.result(function(result) {
alert(JSON.stringify(result))
} )
Result
{
"numResults": 4196,
"people": {
"_count": 1,
"_start": 0,
"_total": 1100,
"values": [
{
"firstName": "Brian",
"id": "2tfN8CFi1c",
"lastName": "Karlak"
} ...
]
}
}
http://developer.linkedin.com

33. Facet Application
Get the Facets
(and connections)
IN.API.Raw("/people-search:(
people:(first-name,last-name,
positions:(
company:(ticker,name)),
educations,picture-url),
?facets=current-company,school&
sort=distance&count=100"))
http://developer.linkedin.com

34. Facet Application
Get the People
matching selected
facets
IN.API.Raw("/people-search:(
people:(first-name,last-name,
positions:(
company:(ticker,name)),
educations,picture-url))?
sort=distance&count=25"
+ companyfacet
+ schoolfacet"))
http://developer.linkedin.com

35. Learn More
• Developer portal:
http://developer.linkedin.com
• Worksheet:
http://tinyurl.com/linkedin-svcc
• Twitter: @synedra
http://www.princesspolymath.com
• Questions?
http://developer.linkedin.com