WebHuddle Application Programming Interface (0.4.8)

Revised 30 November 2007

  1. Introduction
    The WebHuddle API can currently be used to create meetings and add invitees.  This document describes how to use the API.  Note that this is the first version of the API and that more functions will be added in the future.  Suggestions for improvement are encouraged and appreciated.  (Where should they be sent?)
  2. Overview:
    Conceptually, a meeting is owned by a WebHuddle user and can have invitees.  The API is used to create a meeting and optionally add invitees.  To create a meeting, the API requires the WebHuddle account holder's logon and pasword, some meeting parameters, and optionally, email addresses representing the invitees.  If successful, the create meeting function returns the ID of the created meeting.  This ID string can be used to build a URL for starting and entering the meeting as the moderator.  Browsing to this URL elicits no further forms or prompts: the moderator goes directly into the WebHuddle.

    When the meeting starts, the invitees are emailed with a link that takes them to a form for entering the meeting.  The form requires only their name or email to directly enter the WebHuddle.  (Future versions may remove the form altogether, or at least, pre-populate it). 

  3. Details: Create A Meeting
    To create a meeting, execute an https request (POST method preferred but GET also supported) to 'createMeeting', such as:

    https://www.webhuddle.com/createMeeting

    The parameters are:

    An example invocation would be:

    If successful, the returned data looks something like:

    The meetingId and the moderatorKey can be used to compose a URL for the moderator to enter and start the meeting.  Using the data from the example above, the format of that URL would be:

    This URL, entered in a browser or, more likely, invoked by JavaScript, will take the moderator directly into the newly created meeting with no further forms or prompts.nbsp; If invitees were specified when the meeting was created, they will each receive an emailed invitation (once the moderator has started the meeting).  The invitation will contain a link for invitees to enter the meeting.  They will be prompted for their email or name to enter the meeting.

    Note that certain characters, if used in these URLs, may confuse the browser.  For example, "=" or "/" may need to be URL encoded in order to work.  IE7 in particular seems more sensitive to this than other browsers.

  4. Testing the API
    To test if you are calling the API correctly, a tool such as wget or curl is helpful.  These tools are available on most Linux distributions and other platforms too.  Here's how you could test the API with wget.  (The command should be all on one line, with a space before --post-data.)

    Your version of wget may require a parameter forcing it to not worry about unrecognized https/ssl certs.  (This is usually "--no-check-certificate".)  Note the file that wget saved the response to and get the meeting information from that file.  Use that information to build the URL as described above and paste it into the location window of your browser: you should be entered into the new meeting with emails sent to any invitees.

  5. Notes:
    As of 10/25/2007, the "start and enter the meeting" URL only works with http, not https.  Modify the URLs above accordingly, and edit your webhuddle.properties file to define "webhuddle.property.ssl.required=false" and an appropriate webhuddle.property.port number.