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]](images/note.png) |
Note |
|---|---|
| Your Amazon developer API key is linked to your Amazon identity, so take appropriate measures to keep your API key private. |
Example 16.2. 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 16.3. 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 />';
}
?>
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:
The itemLookup() method provides the ability to fetch a particular Amazon item when
the ASIN is known.
Example 16.5. 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.
Searching for items based on any of various available criteria are made simple using the
itemSearch() method, as in the following example:
Example 16.6. 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]](images/tip.png) |
Tip |
|---|---|
The Zend_Service_Amazon_Query class
is an easy to use wrapper around this method.
|
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 16.7. 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.
The following classes are all returned by
Zend_Service_Amazon::itemLookup()
and
Zend_Service_Amazon::itemSearch():
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.
Zend_Service_Amazon_Item has a number of properties directly related to their standard
Amazon API counterparts.
Table 16.1. 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 |
Zend_Service_Amazon_Image represents a remote Image for a product.
Zend_Service_Amazon_ResultSet objects are returned by
Zend_Service_Amazon::itemSearch()
and allow you to easily handle the multiple results returned.
|
Note |
|---|---|
Implements the |
int totalResults();Returns the total number of results returned by the search
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.
Table 16.3. 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.
|
Each offer for an item is returned as an
Zend_Service_Amazon_Offer
object.
Table 16.4. 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 |
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.
Accessories for the returned item are represented as Zend_Service_Amazon_Accessories objects
Each Customer Review is returned as a Zend_Service_Amazon_CustomerReview object.
Table 16.7. 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 |
Each items Editorial Reviews are returned as a Zend_Service_Amazon_EditorialReview object
Each results List Mania List items are returned as Zend_Service_Amazon_Listmania objects.