class-browser-api

The Class Browser API provides access to class information for classes offered at the University of Houston.

The API is a RESTful API built using the Spring MVC Framework. All endpoints in this API returns JSON content.

The project includes a cron task which scrapes and updates the classes, at midnight, central US time. The scraper utilizes the Class-Scraper project, another project of mines.

Environment Variables

Environment Variables are used throughout the Class Browser API to establish a database connection for storing and retrieving class information and to set constraints on the Class Scraper.

Database Connection String

• DATABASE_URL: Used to address the database.
  • The JDBC database URL format is jdbc:[subprotocol]:[node]/[databaseName]
  • Default value for DATABASE_URL is: jdbc:mysql://localhost/class
• JDBC_DRIVER: The database driver that allows java to interact with a database.
  • Default value for JDBC_DRIVER is: com.mysql.jdbc.Driver
• USERNAME: The username used to access the specified database.
  • Default value for USERNAME is: root
• PASSWORD: The corresponding password for the username that grants access to the database.
  • Default value for PASSWORD is: password

Class Scraper Constraints

• CAN_START_CLASS_UPDATES: A true (1, yes, true) value will allow the scraper to run, regardless of run method (cron task or forced through trigger).
• PAGE_LIMIT: Determines how many pages the scraper will traverse through per term.
• SESSIONS_TO_SCRAPE: Comma-separated values that denotes which sessions, for each term, the scraper will traverse through. Values include: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, MIN.
• TERMS_TO_SCRAPE: Comma-separated values that denotes which terms the scraper will traverse through. Values include: See:/api/classes/term={termID} for more information about the allows term values.
• TRIGGER_KEYWORD: The keyword needed to initiate the scraper from an endpoint request. The keyword is used to prevent anyone from activating the scraper on demand.

Endpoints

Click on the hyperlinks to get more information about each endpoint.

Information about Classes

GET:/api/core={coreID}

GET:/api/department

GET:/api/information

Class Offerings

GET:/api/classes/term={termID}

Example

An example using the Class Browser API can be found at the following link.

Web Example