An API for SkyDrive (facilitating a direct URL to the file)
SkyScraper: an API for SkyDrive
I recently created a simple API for SkyDrive. It's a very small .NET library, which I have rather appropriately named "SkyScraper".
SkyScraper provides one very useful method. Pass in the URL of the main public page for a file on SkyDrive, and get back the direct URL of the file on SkyDrive. This solves one of the biggest problems with SkyDrive, and makes the service very much more useful.
If you want to try it, contact me and I could send you the SkyScraper DLL to integrate SkyDrive with your own website. Or you could just use the special redirect URL I've already set up, to create a permanent direct URL to any file on any SkyDrive. Full details below.
An important limitation of SkyDrive: no direct URLs
For most file types, SkyDrive does not provide a permanent direct URL. The URL of the main page for the file is permanent, but the direct URL is not. For instance, the direct URL for a video file on SkyDrive is temporary. It can change. So if you embed a video file on SkyDrive on a web page, the next day it will probably stop working. (The direct URL is not even displayed. It's there in the HTML, but if you want it you have to go and find it. Apparently Microsoft did not intend SkyDrive to be used in this way. Therefore this blog post is purely for academic purposes.)
Working demos of my SkyScraper library
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I used my SkyDrive API to set-up a dynamic redirect URL, which takes the permanent URL of a public page on SkyDrive, and routes it to the current direct URL of the file:
http://www.timacheson.com/SkyDrive/DirectLinkRedirect?pageUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fcid-9115a524920cfd6f.skydrive.live.com%2Fself.aspx%2F.Public%2FUseful%2520Stuff%2FSkyDrive%2520API%2FTests%2FTest.doc
We can now have a permanent direct URL for any file on SkyDrive, through this redirector!
Hot tip: notice that the URL of the main SkyDrive page for the file is passed as a query string parameter, "pageUrl". This query string parameter obviously therefore needs to be URL-encoded.
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I used my redirector to produce a working example of a media player with the content hosted on SkyDrive:-
embedding video/audio from SkyDrive on a web page.
Terms & conditions
You could use my redirect URL right now to create permanent direct URLs for files on SkyDrive. You could also use my SkyScraper library to create your own solution -- it's open source and free to use under a standard GPL type licence.
BUT please do not use my redirector URL or my library without permission. I will require an acknowledgement where these are used. I need to keep track of who is using these! :)
Enjoy!
27 October 2009
Tags: skydrive api skyscraper library .net dll free open source sky drive video audio files stream streaming embed mp3 embedding player direct link permanent url permalink file download code source unofficial hack day mash up prototype beta
Comments: 13
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For more info about SkyDrive APIs, and a bit of background and rationale, see my comments on my previous post on this topic.
I'm putting together a music site. Thanks for the info. But can I always use your redirect? Or must I download my own.
Hi Peggy, my redirect URL is permanent, and you're welcome to use it, subject to a couple of very minor conditions. I've sent you an email. :)
Hello, I would like to request your permission to use your API solution to have a "permanent" URL for my SkyDrive files.
The reason I like SkyDrive is that they use this "?Download" extension in the URL that forces the download (rather than opening file in the web browser), and I wonder if this would be compatible with your API.
At this moment, I was forced to change to another provider ("FileDen") but files need to be right-cliked and "Saved As" which is not as intuitive.
My files are located in my "Home Association's" Blog: http://123luckie.blog.com located at the "Downloadable forms and documents" section at the right of the page, and even though they're accesible, I would like to go back to Skydrive.
Thank you!
Hello RD, it's great to see my solution working on your website, on the right of your homepage under "downloadable documents & forms". I'm glad I was able to help you harness the full power of SkyDrive in this way. You're something like my fifth SkyScraper customer so far this week. Evidently an unorthodox approach can sometimes be useful! ;)
hi tim i want to download my file on the internet(like rapid or any ebook sites) to My skydrive any idea ?Thanx.
You are so smart Tim Acheson..
Its a great trick...
Thanks for this
Hello Horizon, yes I can help you do that, click the About link and then Contact Me.
Thanks waqar hehe ;)
Hi! I'm interested in using the skyscraper to build some kind of personal webapp with it. I'm writting you from Xenode Systems México and if this idea works for me, maybe we will use it for our download site and of course, I can help you to promote your idea in our sites. Can you please send me a tutorial and the necesary files to work with the skyscraper? Our website is in remodelation, but you can visit our blog at: http://www.blogxenode.tk (available in many languages)
P.S. Do you already have an invitation for Google Wave? If not, I will send you one ASAP when I get new ones, just like a gift, I only need you to give me your e-mail...
P.S 2: Why don't you promote your project in Google Code? Visit:
http://code.google.com/intl/en-EN/projecthosting/ for more information
Hi James, yes I already received your email and sent you a reply. :)
This is an open source project, and I do intend to add it to Codeplex when I have time.
hi Tim.
Great work! ehehe... :) I used to follow the standard procedure for streaming with SkyDrive but ... :(
Is there a way to have this "script" etc hosted on our server etc?
So once again, thanks for the API and script. I will be using it to redirect to a couple of files.
Argonaut
Hi Argonaut, yes you could run my SkyScraper library on your own server, or simply use a public redirect URL. I've sent you an email.