Hi,

Is there any chance of having some kind of API available ? I use/supply/configure software PBX systems and was thinking that before dialling an 08xx number I could submit it to this site for a match (and maybe a confidence rating) ... if we get a match then use that as the alternative number to dial.

Either free, or via a subscription would suit my customers. They, like the rest of us, get sick of the sight of 0870 numbers when you're calling a UK number !

I'd be happy to help with the code if needed.

baconbuttie, what a great name!    Please enlighten us, what does API mean?

Application Programming Interface, "A set of routines that an application uses to request and carry out lower-level services performed by a computer's operating system. Also, a set of calling conventions in programming that define how a service is invoked through the application."

e.g. I have another application (my PBX) that interfaces with the saynoto0870 webserver to get information from their database.

I could screen-scrape the info, but that's not ideal and would just waste bandwidth. If I can send a request like "Hi, username=me, password=xxxx, lookup=0870123456" and the server can send back "Authenticated, alternate=01242123456, confidence=6" then a) I have an alternate number to dial, and b) a confidence rating of 6 might mean that the number has been verified recently as being valid. A lot less bandwith used and a known format makes it easy to use.

People usually tell me how hungry my username makes them feel .... unless they're in the US ... where they think I have a huge rear-end :)

Could you make use of the WAP interface ???  :-/

loddon: API = Application Program Interface

In this instance, a way of submitting a query automatically and getting a simple result back.

e.g.  calling http://www.saynoto0870.com/api.php?q=08702404020
would send back, just the number:
0800 05 12 592

which could then be integrated into a pbx to translate numbers, etc.

What would be better is to use a DNS based API that is compatible with the likes of e164.org, or any of the other similar sites, that translate phone numbers, in their case mainly into VOIP addresses (to avoid the PSTN completly for known numbers).  This means it's immediately available to multiple PBXs and soft phones, as they already cope with this method of lookups. I notice they also have a NGN translation facility...


I've actually thought about suggesting this here myself, however...

The database is currently aimed at a human readership, and thus the translated number often has comments like "switchboard, ask for..." or further alternate numbers in the comments.  This makes it very hard to incorporate into an application.   Also, even if cleaned up, many numbers go out of service or change.  Site users will know whats going on when they try an alternative, so will be understanding of difficulties.  If your customer's users are dialing the 0870 they know and love, and it hits a dead geographic number, or an automated message telling them to redial on the number they thought the just did dial, then they are not going to know what's happening..  

Depending on your PABX, and with a bit of coding, you might be able to set up a voice anouncement on doing a translation "We are trying a geographic alternative to the number you dialed, press hash if this fails to work, and we'll redial the number you gave..." or something similar, but I think you'll still end up confusing people.  Yes, it's a great idea if it works, but I can see it being a nightmare when it doesn't.

(And that's just my thoughts on trying to let the family loose on such a system, never mind a business where the users don't know or care..)

DaveM wrote on Sep 10^th, 2007 at 4:43pm:

Could you make use of the WAP interface ???  :-/

Dave, I could to maybe save some bandwidth, but it's still scraping and gives more possibility for error.


irrelevant wrote on Sep 10^th, 2007 at 11:27pm:

What would be better is to use a DNS based API that is compatible with the likes of e164.org, or any of the other similar sites, that translate phone numbers, in their case mainly into VOIP addresses (to avoid the PSTN completly for known numbers).  This means it's immediately available to multiple PBXs and soft phones, as they already cope with this method of lookups. I notice they also have a NGN translation facility...

I did look at e164.org as I already use that sometimes for a lookup, but I must have missed the NGN section ! I'd dismissed it anyway as the number verification would mean I could never get the PIN code issued on submission/testing.


irrelevant wrote on Sep 10^th, 2007 at 11:27pm:

Depending on your PABX, and with a bit of coding, you might be able to set up a voice anouncement on doing a translation "We are trying a geographic alternative to the number you dialed, press hash if this fails to work, and we'll redial the number you gave..." or something similar, but I think you'll still end up confusing people.  Yes, it's a great idea if it works, but I can see it being a nightmare when it doesn't.

The PBX is usually Asterisk (or similar), so "coding" is as simple as
[code]
exten => _08X.,1,Playback(ngn_lookup.gsm) ; Play our "we're looking for an alternative ..."
exten => _08X.,n,AGI(lookup_ngn.pl|${EXTEN}) ; Actually do the lookup, return ${EXTEN} if none found
exten => _08X.,n,Dial(${TRUNK}/${NEWEXTEN}|${TIMEOUT}|${DIALOPTIONS}) ; Dial with it !
exten => _08X.,n,Hangup() ; All done, hangup
[/code]
as a quick and dirty example !

I know what you mean about users, that's why the confidence level being returned as part of the data would help ... a site with less-savvy users could require a higher confidence level to help limit the number of dead calls.

For example, I have an client that spends hours every day talking to tax offices using 08XX numbers. But geographic calls are almost free. The cost difference means hundreds every quarter. They'll happily pay a monthly licence fee to reduce that, I could do it (establish a db) myself but don't really want to re-invent the wheel.

Yes, I strongly concurr with backonbuttie and think an API is an excellent idea. I would propose doing this in both SOAP request/response and url request / XML document response.

The fact that a feedback mechanism could also be implemented would be a definite boon in that a confidence score could then be easily calculated on the numbers in the database for which feedback was recieved.

baconbuttie wrote on Sep 10^th, 2007 at 9:39am:

Is there any chance of having some kind of API available ?

I guess that's a no then :question

I wouldn't hold your breath. When it comes to answering requests regarding numbers, people are very quick to answer - unfortunately the same cannot be said for site enquiries. I know because I've already made a number of suggestions that haven't been responded to.

Apologies for the delay in getting back to this post.

I am currently working on a WAP interface to the site, which is taking longer than originally expected.

After this has been completed, I will be able to look into API and how and if it can be implemented.

Thanks
Daniel (Forum Admin)

Daniel,

Cheers for your reply

# Off subject comments removed. Already passed to admin ~ DaveM

I wondered if there has been any movement on this? Is work on an API still in the pipeline?

Would be nice to see a proper API or at least get permission for a screen scraper.

Just wondered - what's a screen scraper?