Question: Would a REST API publicly availible for developers that can't host their own servers be useful?
Hello! I'm new to the Frontier forums, but I've been playing Elite for a while now, and using the amazing 3rd Party apps very often as well.
It also happens that I'm a developer, and I wanted to give something back (and have a little fun, I like what I do!). I don't think yet another trading tool or HUD addon or post-your-screenshots site is needed, there are a lot of amazing ones already. But one thing I couldn't find is a Public REST API for the developers to use (I know there's EDDN but it's Zero MQ based). On the other hands, there are plenty of connectors and HUD addons and so that use local DBs in order to provide information, probably because hosting a server with the 4.8 million systems + its stations + its trades that there are currently on EDDB is too costly.
Of course, I'm just assuming, that why I'm opening this thread. It's an open question to all developers, would a REST API for stations / systems / trades / PowerPlay / etc. be useful for you? I can create it and host it, but there's no sense in me doing it if it's not going to be used.
So I will appreciate any feedback in this matter. These are the questions that need answering, if you want to use it as a template for your response:
Thanks guys for your feedback!
(Mods, feel free to spank me or move this if this isn't the place, I'm new here!)
Hello! I'm new to the Frontier forums, but I've been playing Elite for a while now, and using the amazing 3rd Party apps very often as well.
It also happens that I'm a developer, and I wanted to give something back (and have a little fun, I like what I do!). I don't think yet another trading tool or HUD addon or post-your-screenshots site is needed, there are a lot of amazing ones already. But one thing I couldn't find is a Public REST API for the developers to use (I know there's EDDN but it's Zero MQ based). On the other hands, there are plenty of connectors and HUD addons and so that use local DBs in order to provide information, probably because hosting a server with the 4.8 million systems + its stations + its trades that there are currently on EDDB is too costly.
Of course, I'm just assuming, that why I'm opening this thread. It's an open question to all developers, would a REST API for stations / systems / trades / PowerPlay / etc. be useful for you? I can create it and host it, but there's no sense in me doing it if it's not going to be used.
So I will appreciate any feedback in this matter. These are the questions that need answering, if you want to use it as a template for your response:
- Would this be useful?
- Would you personally use it? For what?
- How would it have to be? Is there any API call you would find specially helpful?
Thanks guys for your feedback!
(Mods, feel free to spank me or move this if this isn't the place, I'm new here!)