Question

I’m currently toying around with the Clarity .NET Facebook API but am finding certain situations with authentication to be kind of limiting. I keep going through the tutorials but always end up hitting a brick wall with what I want to do. Perhaps I just cannot do it?

I want to make a Web Service that takes in the require credentials (APIKey, SecretKey, UsersId (or Session Key?) and whatever else I would need), and then do various tasks: Post to users wall, add events etc.

The problem I am having is this: The current documentation, examples and support provide a way to do this within the context of a Web site. Within this context, the required “connect” popup can be initiated and allow the user to authenticate and and connect the application. From that point on the Web can go on with its business to do what it needs to do.

If I close the browser and come back to the page, I have to push the connect button again. Except this time, since I was already logged into facebook, I don’t have to go through the whole connection process.

But still … How do applications like Tweetdeck get around this? They seemingly have you connect once, when you install their application, and you don’t have to do it again. I would assume that this same idea would have to applied towards making a web service because: You don’t know what context the user is in when making the Web service call. The web service methods being called could be coming from a Windows Form app, or code behind in a workflow.

Answer 1

I would advise you to try Steve’s blog and starter kit

you can also find a reference to his post in this so question

Good luck

Edited/Added below

You cannot store the facebook login credentials for users and pass them to FB.
(terms & conditions)

but you can use: offline_access, to access some usage without flagging the user as logged in.

Cool tip from this forum:

Use the following URL with your API Key

http://www.facebook.com/login.php?api_key=YOURAPIKEY&connect_display=popup&v=1.0&next=http://www.facebook.com/connect/login_success.html&cancel_url=http://www.facebook.com/connect/login_failure.html&fbconnect=true&return_session=true&req_perms=offline_access

1. Register for the Facebook Developer
   App on your facebook profile.
2. Create a new app Web App(By default)
   through your “Facebook Developer
   App”. Change the Application Type to
   “Desktop App”. Note down the API Key
   & Secret Key for you app.
3. Authorize the app & authenticate the user and
   then get the permanent session_key.
   Authentication

For a fully logged in session, you are asked to use (again terms and conditions) login.php and you can login via JavaScript

HTH

Ric