wtf is a specialized web server that also acts as client to twitter. wtf acts as a "compiler" for the browser, responding to requests with optimized "pre-cooked" JavaScript canvas directives---think of it as assembly language for the code in the browser that interprets canvas tag data. For example:
C.beginPath();C.arc(799,167,8,0,p2,true);C.fill();
draw the markers. All computations like coordinate and object positioning is done by the wtf, not the browser.
Currently, wtf retrieves JSON from twitter. The XML results were over 2 times slower (with a slight loss of data, the JSON results lack the full name of the twitter user).
wtf takes about 5.6 seconds to build a tweetfreq from 10 users
(abcnews,nytimes,wsj,cbsnews,cnn,foxnews,techcrunch,techmeme,arstechnica,slashdot)
consisting of 500 tweets. The bulk of the time is waiting for the
twitter search engine to respond.
wtf responds to requests in this format:
/users/{userlist}?b={date}&e={date}&c={count}&m={marker-width}&p={picture width}&l={line-width}&s={spacing} which specify the users and search/graphics/layout parameters
/users/ajstarks,nytimes,%23golang,cnn?b=2009-12-05&e=2009-12-09&c=100&m=12&p=48&l=24&s=60
builds a visualization of the twitter update frequency for the users ajstarks, nytimes, cnn, and the mentions of the #golang hashtag during the period between December 5-9, 2009 (UTC), up to 100 tweets/user, with a marker width of 12 pixels, a picture width of 48 pixels,
line width of 24 pixels, with spacing of 60 pixels.
Planned updates include support for twitter lists in the form of
/lists/{user}/{listname}(improved support for authentication in the http package would be
helpful here...)
