1. Step by step: Setup your controller

1. Step by step: Setup your controller

To give you an example, here are the steps to make it work!

Step 1: Download / clone the plugin in your cake plugin directory app/plugins/linkedin

Basically this is all you need. Your cake plugin structure should look like this

app/
	plugins/
		linkedin/
			controllers/
			vendors/

Step 2: Use the plugin in your controller

Setup the component, provide your application key and secret

class MyController extends AppController {

	var $components = array('Linkedin.Linkedin' => array(
		'key' => 'YOUR API KEY HERE',
		'secret' => 'YOUR API SECRET HERE',
	));
	
}

Step 3: Do authorization

	/**
	 * start connecting..
	 */
	public function index() {
		$this->Linkedin->connect( /* optionally provide a custom callback url -> array('action'=>'custom_connect_callback') */ );
	}
	
	/**
	 * Default callback: request token successful requested.
	 * Now try to exchange request token in access token..
	 */
	public function linkedin_connect_callback() {
		$this->Linkedin->authorize( /* optionally provide a custom callback url -> array('action'=>'custom_authorize_callback') */ );
	}
	
	/**
	 * Default callback: we're successfully connected with linkedin API
	 */
	public function linkedin_authorize_callback() {
		// we are successfully connected with linkedin API, now you can call any API method you like and retrieve the data you want
	}

Step 4: Using the API methods

Now you are connected, you can make any API call you want.

For a full overview of the methods see the linkedin developer reference: http://developer.linkedin.com/docs/DOC-1258.

For example, let's retrieve the profile info of the connected user:

public function profile() {
	$this->set('response', $this->Linkedin->call('people/~',
			   array(
			        'id',
			        'picture-url',
			        'first-name', 'last-name', 'summary', 'specialties', 'associations', 'honors', 'interests', 'twitter-accounts',
			        'positions' => array('title', 'summary', 'start-date', 'end-date', 'is-current', 'company'),
			        'educations',
			        'certifications',
			        'skills' => array('id', 'skill', 'proficiency', 'years'),
			        'recommendations-received',
			   )));
}

Step 5: Plugin methods you must know about

/**
 * Connect to linkedin and create request token
 *
 * @param $redirectUrl (optional) provide a custom callback method, example: connect( array('controller' => 'mycontroller', 'action' => 'custom_connect_callback') )
 * NOTE: when no redirect is provided, the default callback 'linkedin_connect_callback' in controller will be used.
 */
connect($redirectUrl = null)

/**
 * Exchange request token to access token
 *
 * @param $redirectUrl (optional) provide a custom callback method, example: connect( array('controller' => 'mycontroller', 'action' => 'custom_authorize_callback') )
 * NOTE: when no redirect is provided, the default callback 'linkedin_authorize_callback' in controller will be used.
 */
authorize($redirectUrl = null)

/**
 * API call to GET linkedin data.
 * 
 * @see http://developer.linkedin.com/docs/DOC-1258
 * @param $path API call method, example: 'people/~'
 * @param $args array of fields to provide.
 * @return response array|null
 */
call($path, $args)

/**
 * API call to POST data
 * 
 * @see http://developer.linkedin.com/docs/DOC-1258
 * @param $path API call method, example: 'people/~/mailbox'
 * @param $data  array/object for json or an string for xml/json
 * @param string $type  "json" or "xml"
 * @return array|null response
 */
send($path, $data, $type = 'json')

/**
 * Are we connected to the linkedin API?
 *
 * @return bool
 */
isConnected()