Google Wave: Up and Running

The Google Wave Developer Sandbox

Obviously if we’re going to be tinkering around with the API, we’ll want to do so in a test environment. The Google Wave Sandbox was initially set up when the platform was available only as a developer preview, and it served as the main point of access to Google Wave. Now the sandbox serves as an environment for developers to test their extensions and to connect with other developers who can provide feedback on each other’s endeavors.

If you don’t already have an account for the Google Wave Sandbox, you can sign up here: https://services.google.com/fb/forms/wavesignupfordev.

Although you can test robots and gadgets in the public Google Wave environment, the preferred approach is to test your code first and iterate on development in the sandbox prior to making your gadget or extension publicly available. In contrast, you can test the Wave Embed API you can test on just about any web page using waves from either the sandbox or the public Google Wave server, although you probably don’t want to embed any test waves in frequently accessed, public web pages.

We’ll be using the Google Wave Sandbox for all the API development discussed in this book. Preferably once you feel comfortable with your extension or the Wave Embed API, you can migrate your extension for use on the public Google Wave server or embed “waves” from that server on other web pages.

In the following sections, we’ll code a simple robot, create a simple gadget, and embed a wave using the relevant ...