Facebook App vs. Facebook Connect site

Question

I'm reading Facebook's documentation so I can figure out how to enable Facebook Connect on my site. What confuses me is which parts apply to Facebook applications and Facebook Connect, because I'll be reading along, thinking I'm learning about Facebook Connect, but then I'll reach a section that mentions Facebook applications. For example, here's an except from the page on Data.getCookies:

This method returns all cookies for a given user and application.

Cookies only apply to Web applications; they do not apply to desktop applications.

I think of my website as a Web application, but I can't tell if "Web applications" simultaneously refers to Facebook Connect sites and Facebook applications. How can I tell if what I'm reading applies to Facebook Connect and not just Facebook apps?

Answer 1

In that context, "Web applications" refers to canvas based apps with Facebook. "Desktop apps" is the other type mentioned there, and refers to a non-web app like a widget for your system tray in Windows.

I would look at the Facebook platform as a set of APIs:

• Facebook canvas applications (Apps you use in FB. What users think of as "Facebook apps")
  • FBML / FBJS apps
  • Iframe canvas apps
• Facebook desktop applications (Rare)
• Facebook connect applications (Websites with elements of FB in them. CNN, Digg)
  • Web
  • iPhone

Note that all of these can access the Facebook API, the REST and FQL interface. Most of the documentation is for FBML canvas applications. On the left side of the Facebook developer wiki you can see a few top-level options:

• API (you can always use this)
• FBML (canvas apps only)
• XFBML (Facebook connect only)
• FQL (you can always use this)
• FBJS (mostly canvas apps, some connect functionality)

I'm sure you've seen:

http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/Facebook_Connect

Which is the main connect documentation. I hope this helps you get organized.

Good luck!