Youtube API auto-complete search - iphone

Question

I'm using Youtube API, I'd like to have a search auto-complete feature, just like int the site, when you type into the search input box for iPhone App, it gives you terms suggestions. I've read the docs, but still missing, Is this possible using the API?

Answer 1

Well, i know it's too late to answer here, but i will post this answer because it's something that drove me crazy for a couple of days!!! and hope it will save to others...
So... i'm using this API :
http://suggestqueries.google.com/complete/search?client=youtube&ds=yt&alt=json&q=%#
(q is the query for the autocomplete search).
Now, if you try to open a browser, paste this API and change q=%# to (lets say): q=br, you will notice that some file with the suffix .js is downloaded to your computer.
For some reason, i couldn't parse the JSON like that, so i did that trick:
#property(strong, nonatomic) NSMutableArray *ParsingArray // Put that in .h file or after #interface in your .m file
-(void)autocompleteSegesstions : (NSString *)searchWish{
//searchWish is the text from your search bar (self.searchBar.text)
NSString *jsonString = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"http://suggestqueries.google.com/complete/search?client=youtube&ds=yt&alt=json&q=%#", searchWish];
NSString *URLString = [jsonString stringByAddingPercentEscapesUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding]; // Encoding to identify where, for example, there are spaces in your query.
NSLog(#"%#", URLString);
NSData *allVideosData = [[NSData alloc]initWithContentsOfURL:[[NSURL alloc]initWithString:URLString]];
NSString *str = [[NSString alloc]initWithData:allVideosData encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
NSLog(#"%#", str); //Now you have NSString contain JSON.
NSString *json = nil;
NSScanner *scanner = [NSScanner scannerWithString:str];
[scanner scanUpToString:#"[[" intoString:NULL]; // Scan to where the JSON begins
[scanner scanUpToString:#"]]" intoString:&json];
//The idea is to identify where the "real" JSON begins and ends.
json = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"%#%#", json, #"]]"];
NSLog(#"json = %#", json);
NSArray *jsonObject = [NSJSONSerialization JSONObjectWithData:[json dataUsingEncoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding] //Push all the JSON autocomplete detail in to jsonObject array.
options:0 error:NULL];
self.ParsingArray = [[NSMutableArray alloc]init]; //array that contains the objects.
for (int i=0; i != [jsonObject count]; i++) {
for (int j=0; j != 1; j++) {
NSLog(#"%#", [[jsonObject objectAtIndex:i] objectAtIndex:j]);
[self.ParsingArray addObject:[[jsonObject objectAtIndex:i] objectAtIndex:j]];
//Parse the JSON here...
}
}}
That's it. now ParsingArray is the array that contains all autocomplete information from youTube! to be able to change it every time the user clicks another character on the searchBar, use this function:
- (void)searchBar:(UISearchBar *)searchBar textDidChange:(NSString *)searchText{
[self autocompleteSegesstions:self.searchBar.text];}
Now, this is the main code you should have. to make this code faster (because you can now see that you have a writing delay on the keyboard), use another thread to download ParsingArray or use Asynchronous block. (just insert the content of the first method to Async block...)
Remember- maybe there is another way to implement autocomplete youTube search much better then this, but i just did not found it, and i searched a lot! if anyone know a better way, i'll be more then glad if he post it here.
Have fun!!!

Answer 2

Not the Youtube API -- but you can use the Google Suggest API. Make calls to this URL:
http://suggestqueries.google.com/complete/search?client=youtube&ds=yt&q=QUERY
Which will return a json response of the suggest terms that your app can parse and display. If you prefer XML to json, change
client=youtube
to
output=toolbar
(leave the rest of the parameters the same).