Chapter 1 FB App Factory Overview & Installation

1.1 Overview

The FB App Factory Add-on for JReviews allows you to create, brand and distribute your own Facebook applications. Those applications will display widgets setup via the WidgetFactory Add-on and drive additional traffic to your website. Example of an app:

You will be able to distribute Facebook apps from your site and if you create a detail page for the App on Facebook, it will be possible to find it in Facebook search results.

Live example of apps that anyone can add to their Facebook pages can be found on the JReviews demo site:

http://demo.reviewsforjoomla.com/widgets

The apps can be seen live on the official JReviews FB page:

http://www.facebook.com/jreviews

The FB App Factory add-on will also track impressions and clicks, the same as the WidgetFactory does for widgets:

1.2 Requirements

The WidgetFactory Add-on - before you can create Facebook Apps that will display the widgets, first you need to create the widgets in the WidgetFactory Add-on.

A valid SSL certificate - The FB App Factory Add-on will only work if your site has a valid SSL certificate to allow secure connections. This is because Facebook requires a secure connection from the App to your site. That doesn't mean you must change your site to SSL for all of your traffic right away. JReviews has a new SSL setting that allows you to change the JReviews URLs to no-SSL even when accessed via an SSL URL.

1.3 Installation

The add-on can be installed via the Install & Update link under the Maintenance menu in the JReviews administration:

To install or update the addon you must have previously purchased it, your JReviews version needs to match or be greater than the one specified for the addon and you must have a valid "Upgrades & Support" package for your JReviews license.

If you purchased the addon, but it still says "addon not active for this license", go to the JReviews admin license screen, clear the local key text area and re-submit the license number. This will fetch a new local key that includes the addon information.

On the Install & Update page, check the Updates checkbox, and click on the Install button next to the FBAppFactory Add-on:

Reload the page to see the FB App Factory link appear under the Add-ons header on the left sidebar: