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Google Checkout

Choosing Between HTML and XML API for Order Processing

You can integrate Google Checkout with your custom order processing system using one of the following APIs:

  • HTML API — notifications and order processing commands consist of name-value pairs in an HTTP request
  • XML API — notifications and order processing commands consist of XML in an HTTP request

In most cases, merchants who use the XML API to integrate Google Checkout with their custom shopping cart will also use the XML API to integrate Google Checkout with their custom order processing system. Similarly, most merchants who use the HTML API to integrate Google Checkout with their custom shopping cart will also use the HTML API to integrate Google Checkout with their custom order processing system. However, it is possible to use one integration method for integration with a custom shopping cart and the other integration method for integration with a custom order processing system.

Note: The Google Checkout client libraries and sample code leverage the XML API. Using the client libraries should reduce the time needed to integrate.

HTML API

Features - HTML API enables merchants to send information to and receive information from Google Checkout servers using name/value pairs in HTTP POST requests.

Technical skills required - The programmer responsible for integrating your custom order processing system with Google Checkout via the API should have a strong working knowledge of:

  • HTML
  • Server-side code that can parse the notifications Google Checkout sends, can access the information in your order processing system and can build the order processing commands.

  • The programming language dictated by what the rest of your website is written in, which could be PHP, Classic ASP, ASP.NET, VB.NET, Java, Perl, Python, or an equivalent language.

Recommendation - HTML implementations are recommended for merchants whose custom shopping carts are integrated with Google Checkout using the HTML API or for merchants who are more comfortable parsing or constructing name-value pairs than XML. The HTML API has no client libraries or sample code.

Next step: How to integrate Google Checkout with your custom order processing system using HTML API

XML API

Features - XML API enables merchants to send information to and receive information from Google Checkout using XML that constitutes the body of an HTTP request. Client libraries and sample code that leverage the XML API are available for you to generate carts and receive notifications.

Technical skills required: - The programmer responsible for integrating your custom order processing system with Google Checkout via the API should have a strong working knowledge of:

  • XML
  • Server-side code that can parse the notifications Google Checkout sends, can access the information in the custom order processing system and can build the order processing commands. Checkout provides client libraries and sample code which can generate the XML for order processing commands, parse the XML for notifications, and simplify the integration process.

  • The programming language dictated by what the rest of your website is written in, which could be PHP, Classic ASP, ASP.NET, VB.NET, Java, Perl, Python, or an equivalent language.

Recommendation - XML implementations are recommended for merchants whose custom shopping carts are integrated with Google Checkout using the XML API or for merchants who are more comfortable parsing or constructing XML than name-value pairs. The XML API is also recommended for merchants who wish to take advantage of the available client libraries and sample code.

Next step: How to integrate Google Checkout with your custom order processing system using XML API