13.3. Zend_Service_Amazon

13.3.1. Introduction

Zend_Service_Amazon is a simple API for using Amazon web services. Zend_Service_Amazon has two APIs: a more traditional one that follows Amazon's own API, and a simpler "Query API" for constructing even complex search queries easily.

Zend_Service_Amazon enables developers to retrieve information appearing throughout Amazon.com web sites directly through the Amazon Web Services API. Examples include:

  • Store item information, such as images, descriptions, pricing, and more
  • Customer and editorial reviews
  • Similar products and accessories
  • Amazon.com offers
  • ListMania lists

In order to use Zend_Service_Amazon, you should already have an Amazon developer API key. To get a key and for more information, please visit the Amazon Web Services web site.

[Note] Note
Your Amazon developer API key is linked to your Amazon identity, so take appropriate measures to keep your API key private.

Example 13.2. Search Amazon Using the Traditional API

In this example, we search for PHP books at Amazon and loop through the results, printing them.

<?php
require_once 'Zend/Service/Amazon.php';
$amazon = new Zend_Service_Amazon('AMAZON_API_KEY&');
$response = $amazon->itemSearch(array('SearchIndex' => 'Books', 'Keywords' => 'php'));
foreach ($response as $r) {
    echo $r->Title .'<br />';
}
?>       

Example 13.3. Search Amazon Using the Query API

Here, we also search for PHP books at Amazon, but we instead use the Query API, which resembles the Fluent Interface design pattern.

<?php
require_once 'Zend/Service/Amazon/Query.php';
$query = new Zend_Service_Amazon_Query('AMAZON_API_KEY');
$query->category('Books')->Keywords('PHP');
$results = $query->search();
foreach ($results as $result) {
    echo $result->Title .'<br />';
}
?>       

13.3.2. Country Codes

By default, Zend_Service_Amazon connects to the United States ("US") Amazon web service. To connect from a different country, simply specify the appropriate country code string as the second parameter to the constructor:

Example 13.4. Choosing an Amazon Web Service Country

<?php
// Connect to Amazon in Japan
require_once 'Zend/Service/Amazon.php';
$amazon = new Zend_Service_Amazon('AMAZON_API_KEY', 'JP');
?>       
[Note] Note
Valid country codes are: CA, DE, FR, JP, UK, and US.

13.3.3. Looking up a Specific Amazon Item by ASIN

The itemLookup() method provides the ability to fetch a particular Amazon item when the ASIN is known.

Example 13.5. Looking up a Specific Amazon Item by ASIN

<?php
require_once 'Zend/Service/Amazon.php';
$amazon = new Zend_Service_Amazon('AMAZON_API_KEY');
$item = $amazon->itemLookup('B0000A432X');
?>       

The itemLookup() method also accepts an optional second parameter for handling search options. For full details, including a list of available options, please see the relevant Amazon documentation.

13.3.4. Performing Amazon Item Searches

Searching for items based on any of various available criteria are made simple using the itemSearch() method, as in the following example:

Example 13.6. Performing Amazon Item Searches

<?php
require_once 'Zend/Service/Amazon.php';
$amazon = new Zend_Service_Amazon('AMAZON_API_KEY');
$response = $amazon->itemSearch(array('SearchIndex' => 'Books', 'Keywords' => 'php'));
foreach($response as $r) {
    echo $r->Title .'<br />';
}
?>       

The itemSearch() method accepts a single array parameter for handling search options. For full details, including a list of available options, please see the relevant Amazon documentation

[Tip] Tip
The Zend_Service_Amazon_Query class is an easy to use wrapper around this method.

13.3.5. Using the Alternative Query API

13.3.5.1. Introduction

Zend_Service_Amazon_Query provides an alternative API for using the Amazon Web Service. The alternative API uses the Fluent Interface pattern. That is, all calls can be made using chained method calls. (e.g., $obj->method()->method2($arg))

The Zend_Service_Amazon_Query API uses overloading to easily set up an item search and then allows you to search based upon the criteria specified. Each of the options is provided as a method call, and each method's argument corresponds to the named option's value:

Example 13.7. Search Amazon Using the Alternative Query API

In this example, the alternative query API is used as a fluent interface to specify options and their respective values:

<?php
require_once 'Zend/Service/Amazon/Query.php';
$query = new Zend_Service_Amazon_Query('MY_API_KEY');
$query->Category('Books')->Keywords('PHP');
$results = $query->search();
foreach ($results as $result) {
    echo $result->Title .'<br />';
}
?>       

This sets the option Category to "Books" and Keywords to "PHP".

For more information on the available options, please refer to the relevant Amazon documentation.

13.3.6. Zend_Service_Amazon Classes

The following classes are all returned by Zend_Service_Amazon::itemLookup() and Zend_Service_Amazon::itemSearch():

13.3.6.1. Zend_Service_Amazon_Item

Zend_Service_Amazon_Item is the class type used to represent an Amazon item returned by the web service. It encompasses all of the items attributes, including title, description, reviews, etc.

13.3.6.1.1. Zend_Service_Amazon_Item::asXML()

string asXML();

Return the original XML for the item

13.3.6.1.2. Properties

Zend_Service_Amazon_Item has a number of properties directly related to their standard Amazon API counterparts.

Table 13.1. Zend_Service_Amazon_Item Properties

Name Type Description
ASIN string Amazon Item ID
DetailPageURL string URL to the Items Details Page
SalesRank string Sales Rank for the Item
SmallImage Zend_Service_Amazon_Image Small Image of the Item
MediumImage Zend_Service_Amazon_Image Medium Image of the Item
LargeImage Zend_Service_Amazon_Image Large Image of the Item
Subjects array Item Subjects
Offers Zend_Service_Amazon_OfferSet Offer Summary and Offers for the Item
CustomerReviews array Customer reviews represented as an array of Zend_Service_Amazon_CustomerReview objects
EditorialReviews array Editorial reviews represented as an array of Zend_Service_Amazon_EditorialReview objects
SimilarProducts array Similar Products represented as an array of Zend_Service_Amazon_SimilarProduct objects
Accessories array Accessories for the item represented as an array of Zend_Service_Amazon_Accessories objects
Tracks array An array of track numbers and names for Music CDs and DVDs
ListmaniaLists array Item related Listmania Lists as an array of Zend_Service_Amazon_ListmainList objects
PromotionalTag string Item Promotional Tag

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13.3.6.2. Zend_Service_Amazon_Image

Zend_Service_Amazon_Image represents a remote Image for a product.

13.3.6.2.1. Properties

Table 13.2. Zend_Service_Amazon_Image Properties

Name Type Description
Url string Remote URL for the Image
Height int The Height of the image in pixels
Width int The Width of the image in pixels

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13.3.6.3. Zend_Service_Amazon_ResultSet

Zend_Service_Amazon_ResultSet objects are returned by Zend_Service_Amazon::itemSearch() and allow you to easily handle the multiple results returned.

[Note] Note

Implements the SeekableIterator for easy iteration (e.g. using foreach), as well as direct access to a specific result using seek().

13.3.6.3.1. Zend_Service_Amazon_ResultSet::totalResults()
int totalResults();

Returns the total number of results returned by the search

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13.3.6.4. Zend_Service_Amazon_OfferSet

Each result returned by Zend_Service_Amazon::itemSearch() and Zend_Service_Amazon::itemLookup() contains a Zend_Service_Amazon_OfferSet object through which pricing information for the item can be retrieved.

13.3.6.4.1. Properties

Table 13.3. Zend_Service_Amazon_OfferSet Properties

Name Type Description
LowestNewPrice int Lowest Price for the item in "New" condition
LowestNewPriceCurrency string The currency for the LowestNewPrice
LowestOldPrice int Lowest Price for the item in "Used" condition
LowestOldPriceCurrency string The currency for the LowestOldPrice
TotalNew int Total number of "new" condition available for the item
TotalUsed int Total number of "used" condition available for the item
TotalCollectible int Total number of "collectible" condition available for the item
TotalRefurbished int Total number of "refurbished" condition available for the item
Offers array An array of Zend_Service_Amazon_Offer objects.

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13.3.6.5. Zend_Service_Amazon_Offer

Each offer for an item is returned as an Zend_Service_Amazon_Offer object.

Table 13.4. Zend_Service_Amazon_Offer Properties

Name Type Description
MerchantId string Merchants Amazon ID
GlancePage string URL for a page with a summary of the Merchant
Condition string Condition of the item
OfferListingId string ID of the Offer Listing
Price int Price for the item
CurrencyCode string Currency Code for the price of the item
Availability string Availability of the item
IsEligibleForSuperSaverShipping boolean Whether the item is eligible for Super Saver Shipping or not

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13.3.6.6. Zend_Service_Amazon_SimilarProduct

When searching for items, Amazon also returns a list of similar products that the searcher may find to their liking. Each of these is returned as a Zend_Service_Amazon_SimilarProduct object.

Each object contains the information to allow you to make sub-sequent requests to get the full information on the item.

13.3.6.6.1. Properties

Table 13.5. Zend_Service_Amazon_SimilarProduct Properties

Name Type Description
ASIN string Products Amazon Unique ID (ASIN)
Title string Products Title

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13.3.6.7. Zend_Service_Amazon_Accessories

Accessories for the returned item are represented as Zend_Service_Amazon_Accessories objects

13.3.6.7.1. Properties

Table 13.6. Zend_Service_Amazon_Accessories Properties

Name Type Description
ASIN string Products Amazon Unique ID (ASIN)
Title string Products Title

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13.3.6.8. Zend_Service_Amazon_CustomerReview

Each Customer Review is returned as a Zend_Service_Amazon_CustomerReview object.

13.3.6.8.1. Properties

Table 13.7. Zend_Service_Amazon_CustomerReview Properties

Name Type Description
Rating string Item Rating
HelpfulVotes string Votes on how helpful the review is
CustomerId string Customer ID
TotalVotes string Total Votes
Date string Date of the Review
Summary string Review Summary
Content string Review Content

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13.3.6.9. Zend_Service_Amazon_EditorialReview

Each items Editorial Reviews are returned as a Zend_Service_Amazon_EditorialReview object

13.3.6.9.1. Properties

Table 13.8. Zend_Service_Amazon_EditorialReview Properties

Name Type Description
Source string Source of the Editorial Review
Content string Review Content

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13.3.6.10. Zend_Service_Amazon_Listmania

Each results List Mania List items are returned as Zend_Service_Amazon_Listmania objects.

13.3.6.10.1. Properties

Table 13.9. Zend_Service_Amazon_Listmania Properties

Name Type Description
ListId string List ID
ListName string List Name

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