API

An API would solve a lot of the reservations I have about Gyminee:

1) it would give access to new platforms
2) it would increase your popularity as a platform rather than just a website

... and best of all, when people ask for new features you’ll be able to tell them ‘go write it yourself’ :-D

We’re seriously thinking about developing an API. The opportunities it would be present are really exciting to think about.

As I’m seeing many feature requests and the time-for-fulfillment to be very lengthy, I would also like to express my interest in an API.

Agreed! I really want to see an API so someone can develop Windows Sidebar Gadgets, Apple widgets, etc.

I too would like to express my interest in an API. I’d love to be able to write the code for my own feature desires.

I’ll throw my support behind the API idea. The fact that you guys are a large repository of data lends itself to having a means for people to access this data so they can store it, manipulate it and display it however they want. My mind is boggled by the possibilities.

Very cool site by the way guys, keep up the good work.

Definitely do it! You could foster an explosion of mash-ups and cool apps that would make you a platform, like OlympicHarvest said. The Twitter approach is a very good model. Their site is OK, but nothing like what their API has allowed for…

An API is definitely making it’s way up our priority list. Thanks for the comments!

To add to this thread, one of the main things that we want as we build the API is a handful of really interested developers that will commit to building apps based on our API. We want to be able to justify the cost of building it out. If you are interested in being on that team, post here, so we can contact you by email when we are ready to push forward.

The few things I’ve thought about doing are really data imports.

I have some old weight numbers I wouldn’t mind importing just for trend purposes.

Just to let you know I’d probably write it as a .net app or .net web app.

The other thing I’ve thought would be nice is a data import from watches that have heart rate and other info available. But since I don’t even have one of the watches that won’t be anytime soon from me.

As for data exports it would be nice to just have certain things in the graphs like trends but if you guys don’t have that on the near agenda it might be nice to export to a graph of some sort.

absmith, my company could help build some quality PHP applications or sample clients for the API. We’re big on using and pushing industry standards so would prefer it to be on Zend Framework. I didn’t realize this thread was here but already had plans to do this with cURL. We have designs for a large integration project with Gymninee, and this would be very helpful for it. Please let me know when timetable updates for this are available.

i’m interested in the API

More than likely, our API will be developed internally as we integrate with various mobile and fitness devices. It is currently in the planning stages, but we expect to have something to show fairly soon.

Could you expand on what you mean by “fairly soon”?
Is it something that’s planned for the next month, or for the next six?

I’m asking because I’ve been developing a mobile application (j2me) which is perfect for synchronization with Gymnee.

It would be nice to have some kind of roadmap, or even better, a preview of the expected API so that I could get things moving from my side.

The reality is that we are putting a lot of valuable data into this site – and right now we have no method of getting it back out.

Frankly, it’s pretty disturbing :)

@cachapa, @soulhuntre – I don’t have a timeline just yet, but keep subscribed here and on the blog for updates.

Checking back in… I had to move to another site because of the data lock in issue, which sucks.

I understand that an API is a hard thing to get right, but dumping the data out to a CSV would be pretty trivial (speaking as a professional developer) so I am really confused as to why it isn’t an option. It sort of seems like a deliberate lock in attempt.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to reply!

I would definitely be interested when you release an API. As already stated in this thread, this would allow the Gyminee community to start writing some very interesting (and specific) applications.

Just a quick update, we are working on an API right now. We’re pretty excited about allowing the community to do cool stuff with it.

StephenB: I read somewhere that you were going to be looking for users and developers during the beta phase.

I have a weight monitoring application (WeightWatch) already developed, and I would love to participate in the beta program, if such a program will exist.

Any idea on when this will happen?