In May 2007, Facebook unveiled the F8 Platform. This launch revolutionized how applications can and would be written to integrate with Facebook’s social network. The F8 Platform provides several ways that developer’s can write applications what leverage and integrate with Facebook. The F8 Platform introduced the concept of “Canvas” applications. Canvas applications are web applications written by third parties that run within the facebook platform and appear to user’s as if they are actually part of the Facebook website. Canvas applications provide different integration points for the application developer to promote their application and leverage the social network.
Since the original release, Facebook has continued to update the Platform and provide new and different ways for Facebook Developers to use the platform and the data that Facebook makes available. “Canvas” applications today have many different integration points than the original “canvas” applications of the F8 platform. The integration points that are currently available are described at http://www.metablocks.com/blog/facebook/facebook-integration-points/. In addition, Facebook has continued to expand it Rest Apis and privacy policies to provide more data and more ways for applications to publish the data they generate. One last major innovation of the Platform is Facebook Connect.
The Facebook Platform continues to evolve and change very rapidly. The Developer Wiki is the best place to get up to date information and also to learn the details of creating your first Facebook application.
Facebook Platform comprises a number of core components, including:
http://developers.facebook.com/
http://developers.facebook.com/get_started.php?tab=principles
http://developers.facebook.com/get_started.php?tab=tutorial
http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/Creating_a_Platform_Application
http://www.facebook.com/help.php?page=431
http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/Platform_Guidelines
http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/Best_Practices
http://www.facebook.com/developers
http://www.metablocks.com/blog/facebook/facebook-integration-points/