ReMix, a new API from Best Buy

When I heard of this API of Best Buy's fom the Minnov8 Gang's podcast,  Mashup Best Buy, I thought I just had to give it a try.  I got an API key at that time, but it took me four long months try it out.  (Let's not talk about time management - not a good subject for me.)

I found it very simple to use, if a bit limited in functionality.  (For example, you can't pull a list of categories from the API, but you can query the products by category once you have that information) 

I wanted to try this in a Silverlight application.  I decided to structure the application so as to keep my API key as part of the server app, so the requests back to the API are done by my web server - not the Silverlight app.

Getting data back from the Best Buy servers is all done with REST requests, like this:

http://api.remix.bestbuy.com/v1/products?sort=name.desc&apiKey=YOURKEYHERE

http://remix.bestbuy.com/docs/types/Products

http://api.remix.bestbuy.com/v1/products(manufacturer='canon'&salePrice%3C33)?apiKey=YOURKEYHERE

http://api.remix.bestbuy.com/v1/products(categoryPath.name='audio'&salePrice%3C33)?apiKey=YOURKEYHERE

http://api.remix.bestbuy.com/v1/products(categoryPath.name=' Blu-ray & DVD Players ')?apiKey=YOURKEYHERE

I couldn't find documentation on what parameters you can pass, but when you send an invalid request ( an incorrect name= value), you receive back all the valid attributes in the error message.  So that was fine.

This silverlight ReMix demo application is written using the Silverlight Islands method of putting together a web app with Silverlight sprinkled through it.  That would be for SEO if this were going to be a real site.  I've written about the Islands method before, you can refer here, and here.

 Source Code (only SL app, not server side.) here   and you need this:  Wrap Panel

Anyway, have fun.  Here's how you can get your own API key to play with this great new source of content for the web.  http://remix.bestbuy.com/