As you probably already know (or read quote at the end of this post), Facebook is deprecating FBML in favor of iframes for developping applications.
I am currently launching a new browser plug in and need a landing tab on my facebook page with personalized install buttons and all the useful features one can wish to have on a fan page.
However, I cannot use an iframe in my page because Facebook forbids it (see SO related question here) and I am told not to use FBML because it is being deprecated.
Question is the following: What should I use then ?
(I did ask my question on the fbexchange website but got no answer so far (posted 3 days ago))
Quoted from http://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/fbml/
We are in the process of deprecating
FBML. If you are building a new
application on Facebook.com, please
implement your application within an
iframe, using our JavaScript SDK and
Social Plugins. While there is still
functionality that we have not ported
over yet, we are no longer adding new
features to FBML.
Although Facebook are deprecating FBML they will continue to support it for applications that are currently built with it. What they mean by deprecation is that they will not allow any NEW applications to use FBML come 2011. You have two choices as far as I can see:
Facebook have confirmed that pages will have iFrames when FBML is deprecated. So you can wait for this change to happen and then use your iFrame.
Make your application with FBML NOW and it will be fine, however, obviously this is not a good long term solution.
If your launch is imminent then my advice would be to bite the bullet and create both the iFrame and FBML version and simply switch when iFrame's become activated for pages.
This should no loner be an issue -- iFrames are now supported on Page tabs:
http://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/462/
Related
How do you display the user name / visitor name on a Facebook tab (Facebook app created in an Iframe) without requiring the user to accept additional permissions.
I have tried to use PHP and other examples that I have seen, however they all seem to be out of date or I am missing some type of code to implement.
This should not be in FBML as it will be depreciated very soon on Facebook.
Does anybody have an entire code example (since I must be missing something) of what it would take to implement how they have done it here: https://www.facebook.com/Greenwords - Notice that it does not require the user to click on anything in order to display the name.
Your help would be appreciated.
You used to be able to do this using facebooks FBML syntax. However, as you have stated, these methods are old/depricated.
Taken from the facebook FBML documentation :
We are deprecating FBML. On Jan 1, 2012: FBML will no longer be supported on Platform. June 1, 2012: FBML apps will no longer work. All FBML endpoints are removed. If you are building a new application on Facebook.com, please implement your application using HTML, JavaScript and CSS. You can use our JavaScript SDK and Social Plugins to embedded many of the same social features available in FBML.
So.. to answer your question - you'll have to build your own application and request basic information about the user. Using old and deprecated methods are not a good idea. Facebook has publicly stated that they will no longer support it.
I basically used to take a live stream or comments box and iframe that showing the users name or photo, then position it where I wanted.
I realize there is already a similar question, but there aren't any good answers.
I looked all around the facebook developer app, and there isn't an automated way to do this.
Please help!
If your app is an iframe app, fbml will NOT be parsed by facebook. So you can't use fbml in an iframe app. The only thing you can use in iframe apps is the XFMBL or serverfbml version which only supports a little subset of the fbml tags.
See here and here for more details on xfbml and which tags are supported (fb:tabs is NOT)
So I would rather use jquery UI tabs or something similar and customize it to have the facebook look'n'feel if I wanted tabs in my application :)
I think the problem might be that you cannot use the legacy FBML anymore for new apps. At least that is what I am told.
You might check this developer page and see if the rabbit hole opens up any more for you.
I am in the process of converting my FBML application to iframe as per Facebook's new requirements:
No new FBML applications We will stop allowing new FBML applications, but will continue to support existing FBML tabs and applications. Instead, we recommend using IFrames.
--Facebook Roadmap http://developers.facebook.com/roadmap
Now my application allows you to post your creation to another users wall (or a fan/group page). My old application used the FBML fb:friend-selector to allow the user to pick a friend, and it would grab the id of them, and post on their wall using FBJS Facebook.streamPublish.
My question is, how do i go about doing the same thing in an iFrame? As far as i am aware, the only option i have is:
Use FBML in the iframe and have the js SDK turn it into an ugly, hard to access iframe (which also defies the point of sticking it all in a iframe in the 1st place, as it is going to be removed at somepoint?)
Create my own friend selector using graph api or something. Have yet to see a working example of that in action, makes me wonder if it is possible.
Are there any other options out there, or does anyone have a working custom friend selector in an iFrame?
Thanks in advance :)
You can accomplish this with XFBML in the iFrame (the same way you would handle this on an off-canvas FB Connect application). Here's a post with more details.
in past I have used fbml rendering but now there is to many
update on facebook sdk
I Feel Old sometimes !
FBML will be deprecated soon so you should use iframe
Source: http://developers.facebook.com/roadmap
Also from this august post:
We will begin supporting IFrames for Page tabs in the next few months. Developers building canvas applications should start using IFrames immediately. By the end of this year, we will no longer allow new FBML applications to be created, so all new canvas applications and Page tabs will have to be based on IFrames and our JavaScript SDK. We will, however, continue to support existing implementations of the older authentication mechanism as well as FBML on Page tabs and applications.
Okey, so I have a business Facebook Page like many others. And I want to customize it like many others have. But Facebook (henceforth FB) documentation is really bad.
So I go and edit my page and there I find Facebook Static FBML application. So far, great, and I can even use standard HTML to edit it. And then there is also FBML which I can use to make more advanced customization, like show something for people who "Like" and something else for others. Pretty straightforward. But then i notice that Facebook is deprecating FBML and recommend me to use JavaScript SDK and Social Plugins.
So what does this mean for me? Can I customize my site this way or not?
The documentation for JavaScript SDK and Social Plugins is worthless and very general, how do these apply for my Page customization?
But Facebook Static FBML application it self is an application i guess. Will it work in the future?
What is the best way to customize my FB Page and add tabs and so on?
What should I do?
ANSWER (for lazy people):
While Facebook Static FBML application might be working in the near future, it seems like building applications yourself is the right way to go.
Build an application: http://www.facebook.com/developers/createapp.php
Also you do not need the FBML since you can do all that is needed with the graph-api.
Graph-API doc: http://developers.facebook.com/docs/api
Also, by using the iframe canvas when building apps this allows you to host your page tabs where ever you want allowing you do use any coding language you want.