Recently, I started "Tweeting" on Twitter. I was really skeptical first, but now that I'm getting the hang of it, I really start to like it.

I saw an article on Tutorialblog on how to create a unique website for Twitter updates. Actually a really good post, but when I looked at the Twitter API, I thought there were much more possibilities. That's when I started diggin' in the code and created an extended version of the Twitter website. Your own profile information is added, tweets from friends and a couple of random followers. Just check out the demonstration.

I'm not going into the PHP details this time (only some explanation on the configuration - Comments are added if you really need to know), but you can download the page from the download section.

  

Remember: Almost everything on that page is dynamically loaded from Twitter. When updates are made (by you or your friends), the page automatically changes too (after reload). Oh, and while you're at it: Follow me on Twitter for more updates!

Unique website for Twitter updates

1. Open up "twitter.php" with any text editor (Notepad, Dreamweaver, Smultron etc.)
2. Find $username and $password on line 10 and 11
3. Change the value between the quotes in your username (not email!) and password
4. Make some additional changes (like changing $nrtweets, $nrfriends and $nrfollowers)
5. Save the file and upload everything to your webserver
6. Check out your own Twitter page!

• Set the number of tweets
• Set the number of friendly tweets
• Set the number of random followers
• Show username and avatar of friendly tweets, with link to Twitter account
• Detect if message is a reply; If so, add "reply" icons
• Based on the template made by Chris Coyier
• Page is fully xHTML valid
• And more! (Check out demo page)

There is a possibility the page doesn't show and gives the following error: Unable to load XML from Twitter. Please try again. This happens when too much requests (70+ in one hour) are made to Twitter and you must try again later.

Conclusion, Download, Demo

This script works exactly as expected; Too bad the Twitter service doesn't allow more than 70 requests per hour. You could think about caching the page, loading it with AJAX etc. to improve the flow.

  

Hope you like it! If you have uploaded this page and configured it at your will, please share it in the comments. Really wondering how pages from other people will look like!

Interested in this topic? You might enjoy another article I've written called

• jQuery quickie: Unlimited Scroll using the Twitter API
• 3 year anniversary of Marcofolio.net
• Best of the Best: 2009
• Sweet tabbed navigation using CSS3
• Browser size aware content scaling

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Max | Design Shard - Good Work   2008-09-20 21:39:58 I might try something like this, thanks for setting it up ready to use. Reply | Quote

Rachel - Great blog   2008-09-21 18:58:39 This a really good idea, Marco!! Stumbled. Reply | Quote

Marco - Thanks!   2008-09-21 21:17:10 Thanks for the feedback guys - Appreciate it . I hope you'll find good use in this script, enjoy! Reply | Quote

Razvan Pavel   2008-09-22 10:53:58 no ofence mate, but the code is very poorly written (same ID used more than once and other newbish mistakes) Reply | Quote

Marco - Refactor it   2008-09-22 11:11:48 Hi Razvan, Where do you see the same ID used more than once and what other mistakes are you talking about? Feel free to refactor the code and try to make it better . You'd be helping everyone out. Greetings,, Reply | Quote

Razvan Pavel   2008-10-20 10:58:45 http://i35.tinypic.com/2w1vcis.jpg dont know if that's from the tweet script but i'm pretty sure it can be fixed Reply | Quote

Marco - Thanks!   2008-10-20 16:32:54 A thanks, I see. Should be a "class" instead of an ID, my mistake. Thanks for noticing - I'll update the script ASAP. Any more "newbish mistakes" I should take care of? Reply | Quote

Jason   2008-10-21 01:44:25 What kind of font did you use for the TWEET! word? Reply | Quote

Marco - Chris Coyier   2008-10-21 07:49:41 Check out the template from Chris Coyier; He has the original PSD with the name of the font. Reply | Quote

Jason   2008-10-24 02:27:16 Thanks! Reply | Quote

Marcio Alencar - Thanks - Nice Script!   2009-03-14 15:14:38 Thanks Marco. Nice script and works like a charm! Also, thanks for the help regarding the special characters! It works fine now! keep up the good work. The only downside is that the updates also goes into the friends update box! Later, Marcio Alencar Reply | Quote

murph - Can you increase the number of friends & unique fo   2009-04-17 01:12:19 Can one increase the number of friends and/or followers beyond the recommended maximums (20 & 100, respectively) or will you overtax twitter and cause the xml error? Can you get rid of one or the other in order to increase the others maximum? Also, what would one have to do to integrate the owners tweets with the friends and/or followers like the twitter homepage timeline? Thanks for your help. -Murph Reply | Quote

murph - Also, definition please...   2009-04-17 01:31:59 What do you define as a friend? A follower? And how do those terms relate to the Twitter terminology? Thanks again. Reply | Quote

MIA - Superb !   2009-11-12 02:07:14 This is simply awesome ! thank you for making it available & easily comprehensible to implement Great site , wishing you much continued future success in life & career endeavors . M Reply | Quote

Mike - Good tutorial   2009-11-12 03:48:24 Thank for the interesting and useful tutorial. Reply | Quote

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