Application
Yahoo! Pipes^TM Mashup

One of the benefits of integration is that it lets developers leverage existing programs to develop new, value-added applications (called mashups). Instead of needing to re-develop services that already exist, a developer can use middleware to use, and even extend, those services.

In this Application, you will create a mashup of data sources available via APIs, RSS feeds, .csv files, and other formats from all over the web. This allows you to leverage existing data and functionality that, without the power integration provides, you would have to develop from the ground up (or do without).

For this exercise you will use a free visual editor called Yahoo! Pipes^TM (available at http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/) to build your mashup.

You need a free Yahoo! account to use this service, so if you do not already have an account, create one by going to http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/ and selecting the Join Now option in the upper-right hand corner of the screen. Or, if you already have a Yahoo! login, you can select Sign In at the same location to login with your existing account.

Documentation on Yahoo! Pipes^TM is available at Yahoo! Pipes^TM Documentation and Yahoo! Pipes^TM Module Reference. You may wish to consult these resources to assist you in completing your assignment.

Choose a topic for your Yahoo! Pipe and decide what you'd like the pipe to be able to do. For example, you may wish to build a travel guide for your favorite city that combines weather data, images, and maps. Or, you may want to develop a pipe that will use Amazon's or eBay's API to provide lists of items filtered and sorted on a specific item category.

Use the provided search box to search for existing pipes on your subject. The website will provide you with many pipes from which to choose.

When you find a pipe that will give you a starting point for making your own, choose the option to clone the pipe. A copy of your selected pipe will be stored in the My Pipes section of the website. You can then select Edit Source to begin editing it. In the event that you do not find an existing pipe to modify, you may choose to create a new one from scratch.

As you build your pipe, take screen shots that document each of your changes/additions. Remember to embed those screen shots in your final report.

Once you have completed and tested your pipe, be sure to publish it so that it is visible to others.

Your final pipe should include at least five modules, not including the Pipe Output module, which is a standard requirement for all pipes. If you cloned an existing pipe as your starting point, your revised pipe should include at least three substantial changes from the original pipe you cloned. These changes could be the addition of new modules or significant configuration changes you made to existing modules.

Write a 2-3 page report that examines your integration process and includes the following information:

What functionality were you looking to create with your pipe. If applicable, how did that differ from the original pipe you chose as your starting point?
What modules did you use in your mashup? Provide a detailed description of how each of modules works technically to achieve your goal for your pipe. Include screen shots of each of your module choices along with your explanations of their use.
Explain the choices you made in altering the original pipe or building your own. Why did you make those choices? What were the benefits of those choices?
What integration issues did you encounter as you created your mashup? What was the cause of these issues? What steps did you take to resolve those issues?
What were your lessons learned from your efforts to integrate these different modules? How is this experience applicable to potential real-world integration projects you may encounter in the workplace?
Include the URL for the original pipe you used as the basis for your work (if applicable), and the URL for your modified pipe.
In addition to the screen shots you took as you modified/built your pipe, include a screen shot of the output of your pipe to show that it works.