One of the main tasks for the first sprints since we joined Apache has been support of the Twitter API .  The main reason for this functionality is the ability to use existing twitter clients to access ESME. Well, Vassil Dichev  has been working hard to this important task up and running. Using Twitter clients, it is now possible to send messages, receive the public and private timelines as well as view friends/followers.

The use of other Twitter clients to access ESME isn’t always possible, because the client’s configuration must be changed so that the application accesses the Esme server rather than the main Twitter server. Unfortunately, this switch isn’t always possible, because the server which is the basis for messages is usually hardwired.  Those applications that can also access laconi.ca  servers can also be made to access ESME servers

I’ve tried it using Twhirl against the Stax deplyoment with the latest Apache code drop and was pleased to see that it works.

twhirl_esme33

If you want to try it yourself, then you to do the following steps.
1. Create a user on the ESME server at Stax
2. Click on the manage token link and create a token. This is is your password for using the Twitter client
3. Create a new account with twhirl using the laconi.ca type not the identica.ca type.

twhirl_esme41

Use this synatx “apachedick@esmecloudserverapache.dickhirsch.staxapps.net”. Instead of “apachedick” use your own user_id.
4. Click on ”Connect” and set password using your token from step 2.

twhirl_esme_pass1
5. You should now see the public timeline.

I’ve only tried accessing ESME via twhirl. If anyone has success using other clients, then please add a comment.

Please note that we have not yet done everything in the Twitter API, so some things still aren’t working (for example following users). Other functional characteristics of Twitter like DMs aren’t yet part of the ESME architecture.

Please also note that the Web UI at Stax doesn’t work properly, so bear with us. The Stax deployment is the latest code drop from Apache which means it might include bugs.