Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get access to Facebook's changed code before it's released into the wild?
Even though Facebook can break your application when it changes the Facebook Platform, it wants to prevent problems. That's why before they deploy a new version of the Platform to production, they put it into a sandbox called The Beta Tier. Application developers can test against this beta version for a few days before the Facebook changes are released into the wild.
Can't I do this myself?
Sure you can, but it's much easier to do it with FriendRunner Alert since we do all the heavy lifting for you. Doing this yourself means you must:- modify your application code and support 2 versions of it - a production version and a version for testing with the Beta Tier
- monitor the Facebook Platform to know when new changes are pushed to the Beta Tier, as well as when they're deployed to production
- set up an automated testing system that is triggered when Facebook releases a new build into the Beta Tier
- figure out how to test in the Beta Tier if you use the JavaScript API (see below)
How can you test API calls made from the JavaScript API?
Not all Facebook API calls are made from the application itself: some applications also make API calls from JavaScript on the client end. Facebook's documentation even mentions this, and suggests that you can't test the Beta Tier from JavaScript.We disagree. FriendRunner Alert can test FriendRunner API calls from the JavaScript API. Since we control the application testing from the browser level, we can make this happen.
How often does Facebook change the Platform?
At least once a week. You can see the history of changes here.
Why does Facebook change the Platform?
Facebook continues to improve the Facebook Platform by introducing new features. The Facebook Platform has always been changing, and always will.The secret of any online business is web hosting. Select the best hosting service reading offered by justhost.
