Display public tweets using hash tag urls in apple tv

[bhartibhavya]

Hi Team,

I am developing tvos app. I want to display tweets of famous personality like Barack Obama, actors etc. I will get hash tag url from my client.
Since, apple tv don’t support the webview, I need to call twitter api, parse response and display tweets in my customized UI.

My Queries are:

1. Should I use Rest Api or Streaming Api for this?
2. Do I need to create app on https://apps.twitter.com/app/new and get the keys?
3. Is authentication required as I am just going to display feeds/tweets?
4. Could you please provide some docs or sample app link for apple tv to help as I am totally new to use twitter?

Please guide.

Thanks,
Bhavya

[andypiper]

1. Should I use Rest Api or Streaming Api for this?

That’s a matter of taste for you. The REST API will require you to repeatedly call for updates, the Streaming API will deliver new Tweets as they happen.

2. Do I need to create app on https://apps.twitter.com/app/new and get the keys?
3. Is authentication required as I am just going to display feeds/tweets?

Yes and yes. The Twitter API requires OAuth.

4. Could you please provide some docs or sample app link for apple tv to help as I am totally new to use twitter?

You could take a look at something like Swifter or STTwitter. You’ll also need to review our Display Requirements.

[bhartibhavya]

Swifter

Thanks for quick reply Andypiper.

1. How to get OAuth? (TwitterKit have no support for tvos. Also, Apple tv don’t support webview.)

2. Should I use Digits integration for OAuth?

3. I looked into Swifter and STTwitter Library but it looks like it doesn’t have support for tvos. I need to display tweets of apple tv, which are searched by using a hashtag url.

Looking forward for your kind reply.

Thanks,
Bhavya

[andypiper]

There are already a number of apps that do display Tweets on tvOS, so you might want to take a look to see how they are doing things. Digits will not help here, as that is not a Twitter API login, it is a separate identity mechanism. From memory, some of the apps are using a separate PIN-based flow or an external auth mechanism on e.g. a laptop or phone. You don’t necessarily need user auth anyway - app-only auth would still give you the ability to search for Tweets, for example, so there’s no actual need for login there.

I suggested Swifter and STTwitter on the basis that they are Swift and Objective-C libraries, which I understood should work on tvOS. I don’t know what alternatives there are out there at the moment.