Idea to make an API came in 2014… to store the database in my own server in SQL format and other websites query data from my server, with an initial price + monthly subscription, instead of downloading XLS/SQL files. Some customers like to have the database updated on their websites automatically without needing to ask me to send latest version of Excel file and import in phpMyAdmin every update. But this won’t replace the sale of Excel databases which is preferred method by at least half of customers.
There are few websites offering such API web service, but they offer a single database. Personally I offer a variety of database for 3 continents, and sometimes I do additional changes for individual customers, this makes very complex to implement an API.
The big European database is for sale in 12 different packages (4 variants in number of columns: Car Models & Engines, Car Models & Engines & Tires, Car Models & Engines & Dimensions, Car Models & Engines & All details, multiplied by 3 historical coverages: full database 1970-present, cars on road 1990-present, new cars only 2010-present. The American database also come in 4 standard packages: Trims vs Full specs, full database 1990-present vs new cars 2010-present, and occasionally customers ask me to sell them custom packages like 2005-present, SUVs & trucks only, etc). I wonder if would be possible to store the data in a single MySQL database and give customers access to specific rows and columns depending by how much they pay, instead of making 12 MySQL databases for Europe and 4 for America.
Importing Excel in MySQL is just the easy part. The complex part is developing a subscription system that give you API access and stop the access when subscription ends, unless you renew it.
I am a car expert with NO programming knowledge. In 2015 I contacted some PHP developers, asking if is possible to make a plugin for WordPress for subscription, they said that can make a plugin, but price offer was quite high. Moreover I didn’t know how to explain clearly what I need and most likely if I have paid them I would not have been satisfied and I had to pay extra charges to improve the plugin to make it usable for my multiple databases sold in a variety of options.
I rather ask my own customers buying car databases, to make a WordPress plugin in exchange of a FREE database, someone who can modify the plugin until runs perfectly for himself, without extra charges.
In January 2016 one customer told me that I can create API for FREE using www.kimonolabs.com. I am confused about how to use this website, and don’t know how to link the API with a subscription system on my website (probably I need to import my data in Kimono and give manually the access codes to people paying on my website, and remove the access when their payment ends unless they pay more)
He said that is busy and will come back later to help me using KimonoLabs, until he came back the KimonoLabs was closed (as March 2016 it say “Kimono shut down on February 29th, 2016 and the cloud service has been discontinued. Your APIs can still be accessed via Kimono for Desktop. Download the application and import your APIs before March 31, 2016.”
Does anyone else know an alternative to KimonoLabs and have time to teach me how to create API?