So you want to create a new application, widget or mashup using DigitalNZ content, but aren't sure where to start? Here are a few tips to get you going.

1. Consider the available data

So here at DigitalNZ we collect metadata about New Zealand's digital content. Metadata is information that describes a particular item, like a title, the name of it's creator, or the date it was produced. Understanding what we've got will help you figure out what you can do.

Via the API you can submit a query to our search index and it will return information about the various NZ images, audio, video, magazines, documents, and web pages that we're aggregating. We're working with a wide range of content providers from across the New Zealand cultural and heritage, broadcasting, education, and government sectors; as well as local community sources and individuals. Geospatial and commercial content is coming soon. 

The quality and availability of the metadata varies considerably (it's something we're working on), but in general you can get access to this kind of information:

• Title
• Description
• URL to the item
• URL to a thumbnail
• Publisher
• Creator
• Date
• Location
• Language
• Rights information

You can get a feel for the info in the full search index, and can find further details about the metadata in the API documentation.

2. Pick a topic

Figure out what are you trying to achieve; or what problem are you looking to solve? And if you are not quite sure what you want, that's okay, check out Programmable Web's mashup dashboard for some inspiration.

3. Choose other data services

If you want to bring in additional API services, and mix things up a bit, Programmable Web also has a great API dashboard to guide you. Each sector will also have it's own lists of specific API, for example Library APIs. If you're just starting out then maybe keep it simple, start with one type of API, and progressively add more layers as you get more confident.

4. Grab a DigitalNZ API key

To access the DigitalNZ API you'll need a key which you append to all of your calls. Grab your key here, and you'll need to login/register if you haven't already. You should also read the terms and conditions for using the API, they're worth a read so you know what's involved. The key will look something like this 4aef7een07251869td88f7950bq5a9d8 

When you make a call to the API you'll append it to the URL like this (this call won't actually work because it's a fake key):

http://api.digitalnz.org/records/?search_text=bird
&api_key=4aef7een07251869td88f7950bq5a9d8

5. Play around with Yahoo Pipes

If you're not really the developer type (yet!) then a great place to start is with a tool like Yahoo Pipes, where you can drag and drop data feeds and connect them up like a really cool flow chart. Take a look at a source pipe created by mike_k. Or you can skip this step and jump straight to hacking something together...

6. Get coding

Okay, so this is where the real work begins. We can't teach you how to program here, sorry, but we'll point you again to Programmable Web and their web reference guide. 

7. Send us an example

Let us know what you've been working on by submitting a widget for the widget gallery.