An App.net and Webscript.io example
Webscript.io is like a programmable Yahoo Pipes. It allows you to run simple Lua scripts in a sandbox. They can make HTTP requests, store data in a simple key/value store, and they can load in lua modules from github. By giving you access to a real language and not a simulacrum of programing they open up a bunch of possibilities.
It’s still early though. I keep running into pain points, but the guys running it have been very responsive to support request, and have already addressed some of my earlier problems. I signed up to be a paying member because I think this affords a lot of hackability, its kinda like drinkability.
One pain point I keep running into is that to import modules from Github you need to add a webhook to your Github project. Which makes sense from the perspective of Webscript.io. It allows them to only update there local copy only when its updated on Github. At least I imagine that is how it works on there side. On the user side you must fork any module that looks cool, then add the webhook. After a few times of something like this:
- Fork the project
- Add the webhook
- Click test webhook
I created a repo and now add modules as I find them to that one repo. You can use it too: webscript-lua-modules
Anyway, other then trying to import a Markdown module(haven’t got that to work yet) the first thing I have tried was to hookup App.net, and Webscript.io. Here is a simple authorization flow.
https://gist.github.com/voidfiles/4014269#file-adn_webscript-lua
The next step would be to setup sessions of some kind. Another interesting bit of information is that Webscript.io is supporting CORS so you could build a very interesting client side only app using Webscript.io.