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MySpace Application Generator GuidelinesBefore converting a widget into a MySpace application you will need to have a MySpace Developer Account. You can apply to become a MySpace developer at: http://developer.myspace.com/ The process may take a few days so get this started quickly. While waiting for your account to be approved you should review the MySpace Terms of Service and application guideline documents. These documents provide insight into the process and help with dos and don’ts of a MySpace application. Please note that if you do not comply with these MySpace requirements you application will not be approved. These documents can be found at:
The Clearspring MySpace Application Generator will guide you through the process of creating a MySpace application using your existing widget. The process allows you to either use a “default” experience or a “custom” experience. The “default” experience is the simplest process and leaves the work to us. We define the Profile surface and Canvas surface of the application. The “custom” experience provides more control. You define the contents of the Home, Profile and Canvas surfaces. Selecting the right option depends on your needs and experience. If you’re new to MySpace application and OpenSocial, we’d suggest using the “default” option. Once you gain some experience or have a developer, using the “custom” experience will allow you more control and can provide enhanced application capabilities. Quick Guidelines
Using the MySpace Application GeneratorFrom within the Clearspring Widget Console, select the widget you wish convert into a MySpace application. Select the Publish tab and then Social Apps > MySpace App
Here you will be presented with your options. The first option is to keep things as they are; the widget is shared to MySpace. The third option allows you to promote an existing MySpace application with the widget. So when someone shares to MySpace your existing application is shared rather then the widget. The second option, which we will choose, is to convert the widget to a MySpace application.
There are five steps to create the application. Step 1 – Create a new MySpace application profile
Before you start we suggest that you complete the “Information About this Widget” – item A. Here you will provide your widget the name people will see when installed, who is the author, the Web site and a description. You can update the widget info under the “Edit Widget” tab and then “Widget Info” item. Now that you updated the widget info you can go ahead and create a MySpace application profile. This is a MySpace profile that owns the application you are about to create. To do so open a new browser window or tab and log into the MySpace Developer site at: http://developer.myspace.com/ Once logged in, select the “My Apps” menu option then click the “Create New App” button.
Next you will need to provide a title for your application, provide an email address and password for this profile account. Keep in mind that the email address must be different for each application that is created. We suggest that you create a common format if you plan on creating multiple applications, such as app-<appName>@company.com. It is also important to retain the password for the application profile. This will allow you to access the application profile page so that you can create a custom URL and/or customize the profile page itself (we’ll discuss both at the end). Once completed with the form, review the Terms of Use and check the agree section.
Click next to continue and complete the Captcha on the next page. After completing the profile process you will be placed on the “Upload Application XML” screen. At this point simply click the “My App” menu item to return to the list of applications.
Return to the Clearspring Widget Console in the other browser window or tab. At this point you are complete with step one and you can check the “I have completed the above stpes” and click next. Step 2 – Choose MySpace Application Experience (Default)
Here you will choose the experience for your MySpace application. At this time we will select the Clearspring default. This experience will generate a Profile and Canvas surface for the application. To learn more about the MySpace surfaces check out: http://developer.myspace.com/community/myspace/anatomyOfAnApp.aspx After checking “Default”, click Save to continue to the next step. Step 2 – Choose MySpace Application Experience (Custom)
When selecting the Custom option you are provided a clean slate for each surface, thus having full control over your application. If you have not done so, check out the MySpace surfaces documentation at: http://developer.myspace.com/community/myspace/anatomyOfAnApp.aspx The Home surface is the surface that a MySpace user would see when they click the “Home” tab. Here you would want to provide information to inform the user about your application and allow/entice the user to click to get to the Canvas surface, where the main application resides. The profile surface is the surface that is visible to other users on MySpace. The profile surface should contain information that drives users to the canvas surface or to install the application on their MySpace profile. The Canvas surface is the primary surface for the application. Here is where you will want to provide the most functionality of your application. For example, you can create a simple Home surface that contains an image of your content and text describing the application. On the Profile surface have your widget. This will allow visitors an easy way to grab the widget/application. Finally on the Canvas surface iFrame content from your Web site. After completing this screen chick “Save” to continue to move to the next step. Step 3 – Save MySpace Application URL
Launchpad uses the Application URL when a user selects MySpace as a destination to share your widget. MySpace generates the URL for your application. To obtain the URL go back to the browser window or tab where we ended in Step 1 (you may need to log back in). From the list of applications locate the application profile you created in step 1. The application URL is associated with the application icon, which by default is a puzzle piece. To get the URL, Right click on the application icon and select “Copy Link” (Firefox) or “Copy Shortcut” (Internet Explorer).
Once you’ve copied the URL return to Step 3 in the Clearspring Widget Console and paste the URL into MySpace Application URL text box. You are now complete with step 3, click Save to continue. Step 4 - Generate MySpace Application and Publish to MySpace Application Platform
To generate the application click the “Generate” button. This will create an XML file, which MySpace will read to generate the application on their platform. When the XML URL is displayed, highlight the URL and copy. We will need to add this to MySpace. Return to the browser window or tab with the list of MySpace Applications. For the application we’ve created click the “Edit Details” link. On the application builder page select the “Upload App XML” tab and paste the generated URL we copied above into the URL field.
After pasting the URL into the text box, click the “Fetch App XML” button. This will request MySpace to get the XML data from Clearspring. Once the fetch is completed you will be redirected to the “Edit App Information” tab of the application builder.
The “Edit App Information” tab will display the information about your application. If you completed the Widget About Info, we discussed when we started, you will see rich content for the application in addition to the widget images, all pre-populated for your applications At this point we are near completion. MySpace requires all application to be given a category. Scroll down the edit page and locate the “App Category and Default Language” section. Select a primary category for your application. You can also select a secondary category, but that is not required.
Finally, we need to tell MySpace which URLs they need to callback on for specific actions. Scroll down to the “Callback URL Settings” section. In the Installation Callback URL text box copy and paste the Install Callback URL in Section 4, letter G, in the Widget Console. Also, copy and paste the Uninstall Callback URL in the same section into the MySpace Uninstall Callback URL text box.
At this point you are complete. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and press the “Save” button. When the save is complete click the “My Apps” tab to return to the list of application where we started.
Your application will now be displayed with its icon and you will see the App Status set to Development. Now that you have completed the process you need to “Publish” your application to MySpace for approval into their Application Gallery. Approved applications are also visible to others, so if you install your application prior to it being approved, you can use the application but no one else will see or be able to use it. To publish your application, press the “Publish” button. The button will turn into the “UnPublish” button and the App Status will change to Pending. MySpace will notify you, at your primary email address (not the application profile email address you setup) on the approval status. Keep in mind that the approval process can take several days.
If you application is rejected for any reason, MySpace will provide you the reason(s) for rejection. The information will be displayed in place of “Pending” in the App Status. Step 5 - Application Approval Confirmation
We can now go live. When your application is approved there is one remaining task to complete. In Step 5 of the process you will need to check the “MySpace has approved this application and its current status is live” check box. Once you check this box and save your settings all sharing to MySpace from your widget will share this application. You are now done, sit back and relax. AppendixCustom MySpace URLBy default the MySpace Application URL will look something like: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=428964675 which is not easy to remember. You can create an easy to remember URL for the application by logging into MySpace with the application profile account (you created this profile account when you created the application). Once logged into MySpace with the application profile account you will see the link “Pick your MySpace URL!” under the “Hello, <application name>”. Click the link and follow the directions. Note that the URL you desire may be taken. When you are complete you can update the URL in the Clearspring console for your Application. Log into the console, select you widget and then select Publish | MySpace App. Click the Next button in the MySpace Application Settings screen to get to the wizard. Scroll down to “Step 3 of 5: Save MySpace Application URL”. Update the URL you added when you created the application, with the new custom URL. Click Save and you’re done. At this point when the application is shared we will use this URL to guide the user to install the application. Customize the application profile pageThe application profile account created for your application is an account in MySpace that has its own Profile page. This profile page is slightly different then user profiles, but it does allow for customization. To help promote your application you may consider customizing the profile page. This simply requires custom style sheets. This is documented very well at MySpace and a number of other locations across the Internet. MySpace approval process errorsThe following are a set of error that we have encountered. The error message is followed by a solution that cleared the error. Error Message: User Experience / Functionality: Application Formatting. Content cropped on profile surface. Solution: The height specified for the content on the profile page was too small, thus cropping the content. After creating the application test on each surface to confirm these types of issues are not present. Error Message: User Experience / Functionality: Applications must contain unique content on every application surface (i.e., canvas, home and profile pages must each contain unique content and functionality). Solution: Make sure that each surface contains different content. Do not just place the widget on each surface. For example you could place basis content, such as an image and description on the Home surface, the widget on Profile surface and rich content, such as the application iFramed, on the canvas surface. Error Message: User Experience / Functionality: Open External Links (a) On Home/Profile/Canvas Surfaces, user clicks on "Get Info" button, to open a widget. (b) Clicking on the "http://www.example.com/terms-of-service/" etc links, user is taken to site "http://www.example.com/terms-of-service/" in the same window. Please have all external links open in new windows. Solution: External links need to open a new window (or tab). It should not open any content within the application windows. Error Message: User Experience / Functionality: API Communications. On Canvas Surface, When selecting “Send it"" the application requests user to enter friends' email addresses. Messaging may only be done through the MDP PostTo API. To see the correct methodology please go through the blogpost <http://developer.myspace.com/Community/blogs/mdpjavascriptcontainer/archive/2008/04/10/introducing-post-to.aspx>. Solution: Remove functionality that requires the user to enter email addresses. Let the user leverage the Clearspring sharing menu to get the application and not require any email addresses. |
