PHP/Graph API: Possible to save variable value to users profile from my Facebook web app?

Question

I have a web app shown in an Iframe on Facebook and I'm using the Graph API to pull some data from the user's profile.

In my app users are required to fill out a short survey form. Now, I'd like to be able to check if the user has already completed the form. I have problems with accessing saved data on my end (don't ask, it's complicated) - so I was wondering whether it was possible to save a variable to the users profile which flags them as having completed my survey.

Something akin to (here I'd be checking the variable value)

$facebook->api('/me/myvariable', 'get', array('access_token' => $access_token));

yeah, I know, this doesn't exist. But is there something in this general direction out there in the Graph API, or some other magic Facbook mumbo-jumbo I could look at?

Thanks!

Sascha Galley · Accepted Answer · 2011-07-12 14:18:02Z

3

To answer your question:
There is no magic Facebook mumbo-jumbo to do stuff like that. Off course you could make use of the public stream to let the user share something like "I filled out the form of..." and search for this post. BUT you can't guarantee that 1.) the user really shares it and 2.) the user doesn't delete it afterwards.

Every other possibility that would come to my mind won't guarantee a consistent state. The only solution would be to save it on your site. So WHY is that so complicated?

answered Jul 12, 2011 at 14:18

Sascha Galley

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2 Comments

Arni J Over a year ago

PS: basically the data gets saved in a third party system which is difficult to work with - so in this case I'll set up my own DB table and store the users facebook ID there and then do a check on that. I was just hoping I could avoid that (lazypower, activate!)

Sascha Galley Over a year ago

your own db table is definitely the best way to go!

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