Lulu Developer Blog

Earlier today we released our brand new File API.  Previously, uploading files was two calls, one to request a token and another to upload.  With this new API, it is a single call, just upload the file to us.  Another issue is that once the file was on our servers, the developer couldn't do anything with it.  A common request was to be able to find files that had been uploaded previously and use them in future projects.  With the new API you can get a list of all files that you have uploaded, as well as search for files that match specific criteria.  This API also attaches a unique identifier to each file, which will allows you to use the files in your projects with greater ease.  Finally, the new API allows you to download files that are in your workspace.  The original upload API will continue to work for either a year or until we have determined that all users of the API have migrated to the new system.

As we released the new File API, we also completely revamped the Cover Creation API.  This system allows you to send us specifications, and we will generate your cover based on those requirements.  The old system required your images to be available on a public web site which we could pull from.  This new system allows you to upload your images through the File API, and use them in your covers.  The goal for this change is to make cover creation easier to use.  At the same time, we took the opportunity to simplify the cover specifications.  We have removed the layoutDefinition block and we have removed all id elements from within the layout and background blocks.  These sections weren't used by the old system, and are ignored when sent to the new API.  The new specification message has added a templateId and spineWidth element to provide enough details to generate the cover.  As with the upload API, the original cover generation API will continue to be supported for up to a year, or until we can prove that all users have migrated to the new system.

Our goal with these changes is to make the publication APIs easier to understand and use.  We hope that you like the new system, and we welcome your feedback.

Ryan