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Some time ago, I began to expose the AG Node Listings from
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.accessgrid.org">www.accessgrid.org</a> via a programmatic interface, after this arose in
discussions I'd had with several people. I've now finished a first,
very simple version of such an interface. Using it, one can retrieve
node information from accessgrid.org as XML, for inclusion in websites
or other documentation, and as KML, for use with Google Maps, Google
Earth, or anything else that consumes KML. <br>
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I'll write up a document about this interface eventually, but would
like to include feedback on how the interface might be improved first,
so please do send feedback. If you use it, I'd be interested to know
how.<br>
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Retrieving this information is done using URLs as follows:<br>
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<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.accessgrid.org/nodeinfo.php?format=xml">http://www.accessgrid.org/nodeinfo.php?format=xml</a><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.accessgrid.org/nodeinfo.php?format=kml">http://www.accessgrid.org/nodeinfo.php?format=kml</a><br>
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One method of query is currently possible, using the country keyword:<br>
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<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.accessgrid.org/nodeinfo.php?format=xml&country=es">http://www.accessgrid.org/nodeinfo.php?format=xml&country=es</a><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.accessgrid.org/nodeinfo.php?format=kml&country=es">http://www.accessgrid.org/nodeinfo.php?format=kml&country=es</a><br>
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The latter will return KML formatted data for all nodes in Spain. Note
that the value for 'country' is the abbreviation used for internet
domains (TLDs). Lists of these abound on the web.<br>
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One useful thing enabled by this interface is generation of
country-specific maps of AG nodes. To this end, one would go to
maps.google.com, select MyMaps, create a new map, and give the URL
above (with the appropriate country code). From the resulting map,
choose the Link option. An example image from GoogleMaps is below
(clearly one of the nodes has wandered outside of Spain and needs its
lat/long updated). Also, there's an image from GoogleEarth of all AG
nodes.<br>
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Tom<br>
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<img src="cid:part1.03000302.07040606@mcs.anl.gov" alt=""><br>
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<img src="cid:part2.07060506.08080903@mcs.anl.gov" alt=""><br>
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