Inside Facebook

The Facebook Platform overall has stabilized quite a bit in recent months since the launch of the new home page stream. However, Facebook is continuing to add new APIs to let developers add more compelling and engaging features. Last week, Facebook expanded the Stream APIs to fully support Facebook Pages. Today, Facebook is adding two more APIs around the Facebook Inbox and application notifications.

New Inbox API

Facebook’s Inbox API allows developers to access users’ Facebook messages for the first time (once a new extended permission is granted). However, while the new API allows reading Facebook messages, it doesn’t allow sending. Apparently, Facebook wants to take things conservatively and one step at a time.

“For example, a desktop application geared toward small business owners could enable users to check their company’s Page stream, as well as read messages and receive notifications, all from their desktop,” Facebook’s Ben Hiller says.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how developers build on top of the Facebook Inbox, even if in “read-only” mode. Facebook is in the process of adding more features to the Inbox now, but the new version is only open to a few test users now.

New Notifications API

Facebook’s new notifications API allows developers to retrieve users’ notifications to display within your application. Like the new Inbox API, this API appears aimed at communication productivity apps that could make it easier to consume information across the various Facebook viral channels. Developers can also mark individual notifications as read.

Application Attachments for Facebook Messages

Facebook is also simplifying the way that developers can enable users to attach application content to Facebook messages.

According to Facebook, “The new Inbox incorporates the same Publisher used to publish to the streams on the home page and profiles. We’ve enhanced the Publisher so it no longer requires you to create template bundles — you can now use the simplified attachment model that stream.publish uses. As we roll out the new Inbox over the next few weeks, we’ll deprecate the old message attachment process.”

For more information, check out the Developer Wiki.