New FBConnect Interface

[dagerydoo]

Hello,

I recently altered SHKFacebook to use the new FBConnect interface. In short, it supports the new style of authentication where the user gets swapped to either the native facebook app (if installed) or m.facebook.com.

Altered files

• SHKConfig.h (replacing the existing facebook API settings with the lone SHKFacebookAppID).
• SHKFacebook.h
• SHKFacebook.m
• The entire FBConnect directory

Removed files

• SHKFBStreamDialog.h (the new Facebook object has a built-in dialog method, which makes subclassing to set the default message problematic, though setting the message is likely possible)
• SHKFBStreamDialog.m

Also, (unfortunately) the app delegate needs to handle incoming URL's (which is fairly trivial, but it adds an installation step) so that it can propagate the authentication. In my app, I delegated directly to a new class method of SHKFacebook, but I could also imagine a general SHK solution being implemented, as this might be a new model going forward (?).

The accessToken and expirationDate are serialized to NSUserDefaults, so the user does not have to repeatedly authorize the FB app (whether this is safe is worth considering, though it seems only slightly less safe than storing confidential values in the executable). Finally, the SHKItem is also serialized, so that the user can immediately continue posting the item following the external authentication. I imagine these changes could also lend to the efforts of offline sharing for FB.

Is there any interest in these changes? I made the effort after running into problems using the original code.

Cheers!

Andrew

[wimdenood]

Yes, I'm very interested!! It's not working for me right now. Can you share the code?? My mail address is: iphone@greatadventure.nl

[lenkaencore]

hello, could you please share the code? My email is lenka@engage-encore.com. Thanks.

[nmilosevic]

I'm interested too. My email is zastava128@gmail.com

[tobytaro]

please share the code, thanks.
yzx2002@gmail.com

[dagerydoo]

I am cleaning up the code right now, and adding support for picture and text messages (my app only required links). Shouldn't be long. I'll post as a patch...

[lenkaencore]

RE dagerydoo: I read that the whole Share feature has been deprecated and that now Like button with user customised message should be used. Is this how you implement it? Or did you get around it some other way? I am just interested because we are considering options with my colleagues right now.

[dagerydoo]

I have a patch coming. Here is the fork:

https://github.com/dagerydoo/ShareKit/tree/NewFBConnect

[dagerydoo]

Here is the compressed patch file:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7735151/ShareKit.FBConnect.diff.zip

[wimdenood]

Hi there! It works for me. Just as described in the Readme. However one problem: If I try to post an image this way to facebook, I get the safari with login and after that it returns to my app. But then the image is NOT posted. When I after that post it again, I don't have to login again (previous login was still valid) and then the image IS posted.

Any idea how to fix this??

Thanks a lot for the update!!

[lenkaencore]

Hello, thanks for sharing this. The project works for me on its own but if I try to implement it in a new iPad application, the facebook interface doesn't get open in the modal screen and the sharing doesn't work after opening the 'You already allowed this app' screen. I added the new URL functions to AppDelegate and added URL types and FacebookURLTypeIndex properties into the info.plist file. Is there anything else I need to do?

[lenkaencore]

Ok your solution seems to work on simulator < 4, e..g iPad 3.2. but not on 4.2. Would you be able to fix this perhaps?

[dagerydoo]

Hmm... I haven't run into any issues. Is your app multitasking?

[dagerydoo]

I'll look into the image posting bug.

[lenkaencore]

Yes it is. The problem is that multitasking apps open safari which is fine on the first authentication but not fine on any others (it tries to call an non-existing URL).

I am currently implementing a version where the Facebook share is handled by the application delegate rather than by ShareKit, similarly how it is shown here: http://developers.facebook.com/docs/guides/mobile/
I think the main difference is that the Facebook object is not static but an instance variable of the AppDelegate (could be anywhere though I guess).

[dagerydoo]

Hmm... Perhaps I erred by making the Facebook object static. I'll give it another shot.