Editing Yelp (CDSW)

[[File:Yelp Logo.svg|right|300px]]

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In this project, we will explore a few ways to gather data using the Yelp API. Once we've done that, we will extend the example code to create our own dataset from Yelp.

== Goals ==

* Get set up to build datasets with the Yelp API
* Have fun collecting different types of data from Yelp using a variety of ways to search
* Practice reading and extending other people's code
* Create a few collections of Yelp data to use in your projects

== Prerequisite ==

To participate in the Yelp afternoon session, you ''must'' have registered with Yelp as a developer before the session by following the [[Yelp API Key|Yelp authentication setup instructions]]. If you did not do this, or if you tried but did not succeed, please attend one of the other two sessions instead.

== Download and test the Yelp project ==

If you are confused by these steps, go back and refresh your memory with the [[Community_Data_Science_Workshops_(Fall_2015)/Day_0_setup_and_tutorial|Day 0 setup instructions]]

(Estimated time: 10 minutes)

===Download the Yelp API project===

* Right click the following file, click "Save Target as..." or "Save link as...", and save it to your Desktop directory: https://github.com/CommunityDataScienceCollective/yelp-api-cdsw/archive/master.zip
* The ".zip" extension on the above file indicates that it is a compressed Zip archive. We need to "extract" its contents. To do this on Windows, click on "Start", then "Computer".  If you are a Mac, open Finder and navigate to your Desktop directory. Find <code>yelp-api-cdsw-master.zip</code> on your Desktop and double-click on it to "unzip" it. That will create a folder called <code>yelp-api-cdsw</code> containing several files.

===Enter your API information===

* Open Jupyter and navigate to the directory that contains Yelp API (probably something of the form <code>C:\Users\'''YOURUSERNAME'''\Desktop\yelp-api-cdsw</code> on Windows and  <code>~/Desktop/yelp-api-cdsw</code> on Mac OSX.
* Open up the file <code>yelp_authentication.py</code> in Jupyter.
* You will see four lines that include one variable "APIkey". 
* Find the API key you created and wrote-down in "Create App" when you followed the [[Yelp authentication setup]]. Change the string that says "CHANGE ME" into a string that includes the key you downloaded. Remember that since this is a string, we need to include quotations marks around them. 

Once you have done this, your example programs are set up to use the Yelp API!

===Test the Yelp API code===

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'''On Windows'''

Start up PowerShell and navigate to the Desktop\yelp-api-cdsw directory where the Yelp API code lives. For example, if the Yelp API project is at <code>C:\Users\'''YOURUSERNAME'''\Desktop\yelp-api-cdsw</code>,

 cd C:\Users\'''YOURUSERNAME'''\Desktop\yelp-api-cdsw

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'''On Mac'''

Start a command prompt and navigate to the Desktop/yelp-api-cdsw directory where the Yelp API code lives. For example, if the Yelp API project is at ~/Desktop/yelp-api-cdsw,

 cd ~/Desktop/yelp-api-cdsw

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This will change you into the right directory. <code>ls</code>

will show you the source code files in that directory. One of the files is "<code>yelp1.py</code>", which has a "<code>.py</code>" extension indicating that it is a Python script. Type:

 python yelp1.py

at the command prompt to execute the <code>yelp1.py</code> Python script. Wait a little while while your computer connects to Yelp. You should see a series of pieces of yelp data run by your screen. If you don't, let a mentor know.

== Potential exercises ==

# Search in different places (your home town?)
# Change your search in some way described in the API documentation (e.g., use a category filter)
# Instead of rating information, print out phone numbers... but what will we do if we don't have phone numbers?
# Open a file and save the answers to a file instead of just printing them out
# How many shops can you get information on at a time? What happens if you ask for more? How many do you get then?
# What is the highest rated falafel place in Seattle?
# What is the highest rated business in Seattle?
# Of all the highly rated restaurants you can see with an API search, how many have less than 100 reviews?
# Make an interactive version that prompts users for input.

== Congratulations!==

You now know how to capture data from Yelp that you can use in your research! Next workshop we'll play with some fun analytical tools.

[[Category:CDSW]]