Preparing for Implementation

When you are ready to start implementing the API, there are some important questions to ask.  These questions will help determine how and where you want to implement the API:

Minimum Requirements

To implement the API, you must be able to do the following:

• Edit your website
• Embed JavaScript
• If using a content management system such as WordPress, you must be able to 
  • Edit the theme to include lines in the header of web pages
  • Insert JavaScript into the web page

Understanding your Objectives

There are some important questions to answer before you start modifying webpages:

1. What are the business objectives for displaying data using the API?  Some common objectives include:
   • Providing users access to data  
   • Emphasizing a particular point
     
     
2. Are there topics of interest for using the API?  Some common topics include:
   • Demographics
   • Education
   • Industries, Workforce, and Employment
   • Economics
   • Transportation
   • Utilities
   • Health
   • Environment
   • Community
     
     
3. Do you want a central place for accessing all data, or do you want to have individual tables, charts, graphs, and maps distributed throughout the website?

Visual Layout

It is important to think about the visual layout of your web page and how the tables, charts, graphs, and maps should fit in.  Consider the following:

• Where is the best place to display the API on your web page?
• What titles and introductory text do you want surrounding the tables, charts, graphs, and maps?
• Do you have enough room in your existing layout or do you need to revise the layout.  The tables, charts, graphs, and maps work best if given at least 800 pixels in width, although it can still be workable if given 500 pixels.

Creating a Username

A username is required to use the API.  The best practice is to use an independent username for the organization that will persist beyond any changes in personnel.  This prevents your implementation from having to change if an individual person's username is deleted. 

Obtaining a License

Please contact StateBook to obtain a license for the Calypso API.  This license will provide you with an authorization token that is required for API calls.  Until you have a license, you can use an authorization token of "demo".  This token provides complete access to the Burlington-South Burlington VT Metro Area so that you can test and prototype your implementation.