iOS API for "Find My Friends" functionality - ios

I want to tap into the "Find My Friends" feature of iOS (5.x and/or prior) but am not locating any API to support this feature for developers. Does anyone know if/where the hooks for functionality can be found in the docs?

I'm not sure if you're asking for an API to directly tap into the Find My Friends functionality or if you're asking for something similar to it, but Find My Friends is an application, not an API, and Apple does not provide any API's or libraries to integrate one's app with Find My Friends. I'm sure you could implement your own Find My Friends type app with the Core Location framework.
You can check out the Location Awareness Programming Guide too to find out how to get the user's location, getting direction-related events, etc.
There is also a LinkedIn discussion titled "How to make an app simliar to Apple's Find My Friends" that contains some useful information in how you would go about implementing something similar to the Find My Friends functionality.
Hope this helps!

Related

How to utilise apple's "suggested App" function

I've developed an app for my Organisation, and I would like it to come up as a "suggested App" when people enter my organisations building, similar to the Starbucks app demonstrated an WWDC.
Could someone point me in the right direction to locate any development notes on implementing this feature, and setting up the required hardware?
I've gone through and watched the WWDC videos on Location notifications and Taking Core Locations indoors, but still am a bit unsure as to using this information to make my app appear as a suggested app.
Thanks in advance.
I watched the same WWDC sessions as you and read the documentation and I haven't found a clear answer. You have already an organisation and you should try to sign up for indoor positioning and see what you can to with that.
https://mapsconnect.apple.com
Maybe if you sign up to that program, then you are able to add you app to the suggested apps function. This is only my idea, not 100% confirmed right now.

Initiate Facebook Group Chat from iOS App

I want my app to create a new Facebook group chat with certain people that opens either on Facebook's site in Safari or in the native Facebook app when the user presses a button. I want Facebook to handle the whole chat and my app only to initiate it somehow in the cleanest and least involved way possible. My app already uses the Facebook SDK to open an active FBSession, so I've already got login credentials.
Looking around online and in Facebook's docs, I can't find anything that suits my needs. The closest thing I found was in this answer containing a list of Facebook app URLs you can connect to that open the Facebook app to certain pages. There's "fb://chat/(initWithUID:)" and "fb://messaging/compose/(initWithUID:)". However, not only is there no explanation on how to use these, but people say that Facebook has changed these URLs (and does not have any documentation on them), so they don't work anymore unless I reverse-engineer new URLs (which could change again). Ugh, so close!
I also found examples on starting chats with the Facebook Chat API, but that involves logging into Facebook using some networking framework then writing my own GUI and model for sending messages, which I am only prepared to do as a last resort. There should be some way to let the Facebook app or website do all that. Does anyone know how I can do this?
I've found something very close, but I still don't see a way to make my app initialize it with the desired group of friends:
The Facebook SDK has a message dialog that can appear for sending messages to friends. This isn't exactly what I wanted but is good enough because it means that all the programming is already done for me by Facebook, and users should be able to see these messages on https://facebook.com and the Facebook apps. https://developers.facebook.com/docs/ios/share#message-dialog

iOS Facebook API/SDK Wrapper?

I've been looking for a good iOS Facebook API/SDK Wrapper, can't find any.
I need to be able to (with a few lines of code, not the insanely needed by Facebook's API):
Login user
Logout user
Get user's likes
Invite Friend to app
Maybe post to user's wall (this has been causing problems to other apps so not sure will actually implement)
Get user's friends
Get user's basic info (e-mail, name, etc.)
Is there any wrapper simplifying the absurd vanilla API?
https://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/apis/
This should help and it is Facebook's official api.
Here's the documentation: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/ios/
You might be able to use portions of ShareKit for this (be sure to abide by their license): https://github.com/ShareKit/ShareKit/tree/master/Classes/ShareKit/Sharers/Services/Facebook
This doesn't do everything you asked, but it's a (clean) starting point at least: https://github.com/mobitar/Zuckerkit
This does a bit more, but hasn't been updated in a year: https://github.com/sinnerschrader-mobile/S2M-Facebook-iOS
I found this lib: https://github.com/lucascorrea/SCFacebook
It seems to use a not that outdated version of the iOS SDK (3.18 vs. current 3.21), is available on cocoapods and seems to cover many of your required API features.
I haven't used the lib my self, but i am considering it next time i have to develop an iOS App which needs to connect to facebook.

How to integrate tapatalk in my app

I am working on an app in which I need to show product related forums listing using vBulletine and TAPATALK API like the existing website does.
how could I show it in app?
I googled it alot but couldn't find any solution.
First of all you need to register at tapatalk.com.
Then you can "build your own" Tapatalk application here, but it's only a customisation of the Tapatalk app. It's a "all-inclusive" app that you can customize. So basically you can't make your "100% own app" using this feature.
If you need to make your "100% own app", then you can read the API specifications here : Tapatalk API
Afaik, there is no binary / library, so you have to implement the API by your self.

iOS driving directions in iOS6

I have been searching all around about how to integrate driving directions into MKMapView within my application. Is the only way to open the Apple Maps program and go from there, or is their a way of integrating within your own app. If not, I will probably go with google maps as soon as I can get an API key.
If you mean getting the same views for driving direction (a.k.a. turn-by-turn navigation) as the Apple Maps application, then no... as far as I know, there is no library for that (if not 3rd party).
However, as you mentioned, you can open apple maps or google maps giving the directions to the application and initiate such a function.
Also, good to know: If there would be such a build-in functionality in iOS6 (which, again I don't believe there is) its good to know it doesn't exist in pre-iOS6. Meaning it won't work on earlier devices. (hence you need to build a fall-back solution if you want to support those devices as well).
More information on iOS turn-by-turn: http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#releasenotes/General/WhatsNewIniPhoneOS/Articles/iOS6.html
Quote from that page (which makes me believe turn-by-turn is not supported in the API's):
... Apps that offer routing information, such as turn-by-turn navigation services, can now register as a routing app and make those services available to the entire system.
The documentation search page doesn't give much more info either: http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/search/?q=turn-by-turn
For more information on how to open the maps app, check the answer here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/12789896/406677
So bottom line, you need to either create your own turn-by-turn navigation... or link to an existing application giving such support.
I hope that answered your question.

Resources