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MK15

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goodreads.com php

Hey guys,

I was wondering if anyone knew any sites or tutorials that would assist me in getting back book reviews from http://www.goodreads.com api.  There are no php samples to give me a head start.  Has anyone used the api from goodreads?

thanks in advance
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Derokorian
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MK15

ASKER

hi,
let me start of by thanking you for your help.

I have managed to retrieve the data without creating an xml object, however there is a lot of data which i wish to remove. i want only the iframe enclosing the review and nothing else, how would you suggest i tackle this issue.


$bookurl = 'http://www.goodreads.com/book/isbn?isbn=0441172717&key='.$GoodReads_API_KEY;
// specific url to request a book, this can be build dynamically by inserting different methods where it says book_url and such. See the API docs to see more about how the different URLs should be look

$ch = curl_init(); // Initialize curl  handle
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT, 5); // 5 second timeout
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true); // return the result on success, rather than just TRUE
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $bookurl); // Set the url for curl to request to

$response = curl_exec($ch); // makes the request and gets the response

// Process $response as xml 
$xml = new SimpleXMLElement($response);
echo '<pre>';
print_r($response);
echo '</pre>'

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result

  
    true
      
    
  
  
  53732
  
  
  
  
  http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg
  http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg
  1990
  9
  1
  Ace/Berkley Books
  eng
  false
  
  
  234225
  137
  3634639
  book
  
  
  
  1965
  Dune
  5:79751|4:52480|3:32518|2:11728|1:9303|total:185780
  186613
  742519
  252551
  4399


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    


    
    58
        
    
    
    
    3.88
    293472
    7134
  
  
    
    
      
  #goodreads-widget {
    font-family: georgia, serif;
    padding: 18px 0;
    width:565px;
  }
  #goodreads-widget h1 {
    font-weight:normal;
    font-size: 16px;
    border-bottom: 1px solid #BBB596;
    margin-bottom: 0;
  }
  #goodreads-widget a {
    text-decoration: none;
    color:#660;
  }
  iframe{
    background-color: #fff;
  }
  #goodreads-widget a:hover { text-decoration: underline; }
  #goodreads-widget a:active {
    color:#660;
  }
  #gr_footer {
    width: 100%;
    border-top: 1px solid #BBB596;
    text-align: right;
  }
  #goodreads-widget .gr_branding{
    color: #382110;
    font-size: 11px;
    text-decoration: none;
    font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;
  }


  
Dune Reviews

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------there is an iframe here which encloses the reviews - i need to have this iframe and nothing else.
  
  

    Reviews from Goodreads.com
  



      ]]>
    
  
  
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
          
      
  
    
  8
  
  http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=53732

  1027
  
  http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/1027?book_id=53732

  9
  
  http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/9?book_id=53732

  4
  
  http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/4?book_id=53732

  2
  
  http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/2?book_id=53732

  10
  
  http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/10?book_id=53732

  5
  
  http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/5?book_id=53732

  2102
  
  http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/2102?book_id=53732

  1602
  
  http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/1602?book_id=53732

  107
  
  http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/107?book_id=53732

  7
  
  http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/7?book_id=53732

  1
  
  http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/1?book_id=53732

  
  
    
166801
1

45935


two-volume omnibus series.
    
    See also:
    * Prelude to Dune
    * Legends of Dune
]]>




17
8
true

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many thanks for your help, it is very much appreciated.
Isnt this the same question framed in a different way.
I have provided a solution in that question .
Please try that.
$bookurl = 'http://www.goodreads.com/book/isbn?isbn=0441172717&key='.$GoodReads_API_KEY;

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Notice the URL you used doesn't make a request for the API but rather goes to the site.
Avatar of MK15

ASKER

thanks for your help mate