===================================
Google Refine Python Client Library
===================================
The Google Refine Python Client Library provides an interface to
communicating with a Google Refine server.
Currently, the following API is supported:
- project creation/import, deletion, export
- facet computation
- text
- text filter
- numeric
- blank
- starred & flagged
- ... extensible class
- 'engine': managing multiple facets and their computation results
- sorting & reordering
- clustering
- transforms
- transposes
- single and mass edits
- annotation (star/flag)
- column
- move
- add
- split
- rename
- reorder
- remove
- reconciliation
- reconciliation judgment facet
- guessing column type
- querying reconciliation services preferences
- perform reconciliation
Configuration
=============
By default the Google Refine server URL is http://127.0.0.1:3333
The environment variables ``GOOGLE_REFINE_HOST`` and ``GOOGLE_REFINE_PORT``
enable overriding the host & port.
In order to run all tests, a live Refine server is needed. No existing projects
are affected.
Installation
============
(Someone with more familiarity with python's byzantine collection of installation
frameworks is very welcome to improve/"best practice" all this.)
#. Install dependencies, which currently is ``urllib2_file``:
``sudo pip install -r requirements.txt``
(If you don't have ``pip`` visit `pip-installer.org <http://www.pip-installer.org/en/latest/installing.html#install-or-upgrade-pip>`_)
#. Ensure you have a Refine server running somewhere and, if necessary, set
the environment vars as above.
#. Run tests, build, and install:
``python setup.py test # to do a subset, e.g., --test-suite tests.test_facet``
``python setup.py build``
``python setup.py install``
There is a Makefile that will do this too, and more.
TODO
====
The API so far has been filled out from building a test suite to carry out the
actions in `David Huynh's Refine tutorial <http://davidhuynh.net/spaces/nicar2011/tutorial.pdf>`_ which while certainly showing off a
wide range of Refine features doesn't cover the entire suite. Notable exceptions
currently include:
- reconciliation support is useful but not complete
- undo/redo
- Freebase
- join columns
- columns from URL
Contribute
============
Pull requests with passing tests welcome! Source is at https://github.com/PaulMakepeace/refine-client-py
Useful Tools
------------
One aspect of development is watching HTTP transactions. To that end, I found
`Fiddler <http://www.fiddler2.com/>`_ on Windows and `HTTPScoop
<http://www.tuffcode.com/>`_ invaluable. The latter won't URL-decode nor nicely
format JSON but the `Online JavaScript Beautifier <http://jsbeautifier.org/>`_
will.
Credits
=======
Paul Makepeace, author, <paulm@paulm.com>
David Huynh, `initial cut <http://groups.google.com/group/google-refine/msg/ee29cf8d660e66a9>`_
`Artfinder <http://www.artfinder.com/>`_, inspiration
Some data used in the test suite has been used from publicly available sources,
- louisiana-elected-officials.csv: from
http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/tabid/136/Default.aspx
- us_economic_assistance.csv: `"The Green Book" <http://www.data.gov/raw/1554>`_
- eli-lilly.csv: `ProPublica's "Docs for Dollars" <http://projects.propublica.org/docdollars/>`_ leading to a `Lilly Faculty PDF <http://www.lillyfacultyregistry.com/documents/EliLillyFacultyRegistryQ22010.pdf>`_ processed by `David Huynh's ScraperWiki script <http://scraperwiki.com/scrapers/eli-lilly-dollars-for-docs-scraper/edit/>`_
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