API 2 Released

[Aphyr]

Hello all, I'm Kyle Kingsbury, one of the developers working on the
API here at Vodpod. We've just released a brand new version, and want
you to try it out!

http://api2.vodpod.com/doc

This is not a finished product--we have much to add over the coming
months. However, it should offers many advantages over the old API
right now.

- Speed. This version of the API is much faster. Performance is a top
priority for us, since we're building Vodspot, one of our flagship
products, on top of the API core.

- Consistency. The new API is centered around a few core objects with
well-defined relationships and identical query structures. No more
digging for the correct video ID or collection ID. Everything has a
unique name and the same query language.

- Expressive syntax. The new parameters offer you tremendous power,
from sorting, paging, and customizing what models are included. You
can save dozens of HTTP round-trips by including associated objects in
your request, like getting a collection with recent videos and top
tagshttp://groups.google.com/group/vodpod-api/subscribe?_done=%2Fgroup%2Fvodpod-api%2Fpost%3F_done%3D%252Fgroup%252Fvodpod-api%252Fpost
all at once.

- More data. We're giving you access to an even broader view of the
Vodpod dataset, which lets you build richer applications on top of the
service.

We've got several goals for the coming weeks. Expect frequent updates
to the API core, which will be announced on the geekblog (http://
geekblog.vodpod.com/). Specifically, we'd like to add:

- The ability to update and delete videos and collections. Right now
the API is read-only. We'd like to have paths for collecting new
videos, organizing collections, commenting, moderation, and editing
metadata.

- Additional caching, for improved performance.

- Protocol versioning: endpoints at http://api.vodpod.com/v1,
http://api.vodpod.com/v2, and so forth. As we move forward with more
extensive deployment, we'll be moving away from distinct hostnames for
every API revision.

- API toolkits in your favorite languages. First up is Ruby; I'll be
updating the vodpod gem to work with the new API shortly. We're
planning on writing Javascript and PHP bindings next. If you'd like to
contribute a toolkit, please let us know.

I'll do my best to respond to help out with any problems you might
have--feedback is always welcome!

--Kyle