XFN pagination using rel="next"

This work has now been superseded by the Portable social network profile parser. It is left here as a reference.

One of the more basic issues when using the web as an API is finding a method to interact with data split across multiple pages. We need a way of identifying additional information which is part of the current dataset, but on secondary pages. The rel attribute provides a practical standards based solution, which can be used to mark-up the next page in a series.

This interface demonstrates the uses of rel=”next” in a hyperlink to allow the collection of XFN relationships from multiple pages.

 

Example urls

 

Example Xml 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="yes" ?>
<relationships found="1">
  <relationship>
    <text>Andy Budd</text>
    <link>http://www.andybudd.com/</link>
    <rel>friend met colleague</rel>
  </relationship>
</relationships>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="yes" ?>
<relationships>
  <error>The URI prefix is not recognized.</error>
</relationships>

 

Updated

14-Oct-07
Changed the Xml and JSON output format, switch link for url. Added the options to switch off follow pagination.

4-Oct-07
The interface will now also follow rel=”prev” and parse a set pages from any position in the pagination.

Comments: info@backnetwork.com

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This site showcases some of the experimental work being carried out for backnetwork. By sharing this early work we hope in some way to add to the important technical and architectural discussions about portable social networks.