[wp-hackers] Facebook Events Integration

[Eric Mann]

I had a recent request from a client to integrate their WordPress event
calendar (Event Calendar 3 plug-in by Alex Tingle) with Facebook's native
event system.  I've managed to create a server application that will create
an event when you make a request, but it's not working the way I want things
to.

 

The way things should work:

.         User creates an event in WordPress

.         Plug-in automatically posts the information to the Facebook
application

.         Facebook application creates a new event assigned to the user's
Facebook account

 

Ideally, this should all happen behind the scenes.  I've created a system
that will take the posted information and create an event, but I'm running
into a handful of issues with this:

1)      This is the biggie . Even though the user is logged in to Facebook,
WordPress isn't.  So when WP tries to post data to the FB application,
everything fails.  Unfortunately I don't know how to trick the servers into
recognizing one another or how to get WordPress to authenticate as a
Facebook user.  If I can't do that, I can't create the event . any ideas?

2)      I've been using wp_remote_post() to send the information to Facebook
. but I'm not 100% sure I'm using the function correctly, and it's not very
well documented in the source code.  The code I'm using is below . I've
tried to copy the in-source examples of wp_remote_post(), but I know I could
benefit from some additional guidance from those of you with more experience
in cross-server communications.

 

My code:

 

<?php

$array = array( 'start_time_hour' => 10, 'start_time_minute' => 0,
'start_time_month' => 3, 'start_time_day' => 10, 'start_time_year' => 2010,
'end_time_hour' => 11, 'end_time_minute' => 0, 'end_time_month' => 3,
'end_time_day' => 10, 'end_time_year' => 2010, 'category' => 1, 'location'
=> 'My House', 'host' => 'Eric Mann', 'name' => 'Test Meeting Entry');

 

$request = wp_remote_post('http://apps.facebook.com/eventcalendarthree/',
array('method' => 'POST', 'request' => serialize($array)));

if(is_wp_error($request)) {

                echo $request->get_error_message();

}

?>

 

The Facebook application is meant to take this information and call the FB
API directly (with the appropriate api and secret key).  I've tested it by
inputting information directly via $_GET[] (url query strings) and
converting the GET variables into POST variables before parsing . so I know
on the FB side that things are working.  It's the WP side of things where
I'm having issues.

 

I don't know if anyone's handled this particular situation in the past, but
if you have I'd love to hear your take on things.  Ideas?

 

 

Eric Mann

www.eamann.com