How To Use Youtube Api

Elite Haxor · September 9, 2015

What's API ?
Application Programming Interface. A language and message format used by an application program to communicate with the operating system or some other control program such as a database management system (DBMS) or communications protocol. APIs are implemented by writing function calls in the program, which provide the linkage to the required subroutine for execution. Read More Here

YouTube Data API
The YouTube Data API allows client applications to retrieve and update YouTube content in the form of Google Data API feeds. Your client application can use the YouTube Data API to fetch video feeds, comments, responses, and playlists, as well as query for videos that match particular criteria. You can also use the API to make authenticated requests to modify this information and to upload new video content to the site. Read More Here

Preparations
We first need to install the Google Data Libraries. Head up to http://code.google.com/p/google-gdata/downloads/list then download and install the latest version ( Google_Data_API_Setup_2.0.1.0.msi ). Once done go to http://code.google.com/apis/youtube/dashboard/ ( you need a Gmail for this ) and get yourself an API key.

Getting Started
Open a New VB.net Project and add Google.GData.Client.dll, Google.GData.Extensions.dll, Google.GData.YouTube.dll to the references they are located where you installed the Libraries( mine were in C:\Program Files\Google\Google Data API SDK\Samples )

Step 1

Import the libraries to your project :

Imports Google.GData.Client
Imports Google.GData.Extensions
Imports Google.GData.YouTube
Imports Google.GData.YouTube.YouTubeService
Imports Google.GData.Extensions.MediaRss
Imports Google.YouTube
Imports System.Management
Imports System.Net
Imports System.IO

Step 2

We should authenticate our account by adding our credentials settings, the key you made before.

Dim Settings As YouTubeRequestSettings
Dim Request As YouTubeRequest
Settings = New YouTubeRequestSettings("Application Name", "Your Api Key", "Any Youtube Username", "Any's Password")
Request = New YouTubeRequest(settings)

So basically every time you want to execute something ( like,comment,subscribtion..) you'll have to define the user credentials (Username and Password )

Step 3

After we declared ourselves to the API it's time to define the YT (YouTube) video we will be using.

Dim VideoUri As Uri
Dim TheVideo As Video
VideoUri = New Uri("http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/videos/" + "Video ID")
TheVideo = request.Retrieve(Of Video)(VideoUri)

Define Uri : Provides an object representation of a uniform resource identifier (URI) and easy access to the parts of the URI. Read more About Uri
Video ID : Let's take http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPi85qp-V1A as example. The Video ID is cPi85qp-V1A

Step 4

Step 3 was the final step in the authentication, the funny parts can now get started.

To Like (Rate) a Video:

TheVideo.Rating = 5;
request.Insert(TheVideo.RatingsUri, TheVideo);

To Dislike a Video:

TheVideo.Rating = 1;
request.Insert(TheVideo.RatingsUri, TheVideo);

To Retrieve video comments:

Dim comments = request.GetComments(TheVideo)
Dim c As Comment
  For Each c In comments.Entries
    MsgBox(c.Content)
  Next

To Add video comment:

Dim c As Comment = New Comment()
c.Content = "Comment Content"
request.AddComment(TheVideo, c)

To Subscribe to a Video channel:

Dim s As Subscription = New Subscription
s.Type = SubscriptionEntry.SubscriptionType.channel
s.UserName = TheVideo.Uploader
request.Delete(s)

To Add a Video as Favorite:

Dim videoEntryUrl As String = "http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/videos/" + "Video ID"
Dim service As YouTubeService = request.Service
Dim videoEntry As YouTubeEntry = service.Get(videoEntryUrl)
Dim feedUrl As String = "http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/default/favorites"
service.Insert(New Uri(feedUrl), videoEntry)

To Remove a Video as Favorite:

Dim videoEntryUrl As String = "http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/videos/" + "Video ID"
Dim service As YouTubeService = request.Service
Dim videoEntry As YouTubeEntry = service.Get(videoEntryUrl)
Dim feedUrl As String = "http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/default/favorites"
request.Delete(videoEntry)

To Flag a Video:

Dim c As Complaint = New Complaint
c.Type = ComplaintEntry.ComplaintType.pron
c.Content = "This video contain pronographic scenes"
request.Insert(TheVideo.ComplaintUri, c)

You can change the complaintype to Hate,pron,Rights,Spam,Violence,Unknown.

Enjoy and don't forget to say thanks

Updated September 10, 2015 by DiDA