README

A PHP library for http://represent.opennorth.ca/

Find the elected officials and electoral districts for any Canadian address or postal code, at all levels of government

Install

Install using composer:

"require": {
  "seanmcn/php-represent": "1.*"
}

Alternatively you could just download the package and load it in yourself.

Example Usage

$represent = new PHPRepresent\API();
$represent->getAll('boundaries', ['sets' => ['toronto-wards', 'ottawa-wards']]);

API Documentation

• Represent Civic Information API Documentation

Library Documentation

get($path, $params, $throttle);

Returns a single result or one page of results from API path and parameters provided.

Parameters:

• $path - The API Path of your request.
• $params - $_GET variables you want to append to the request. Allows supplying multiple values per key by array or comma seperated.
• $throttle - Default TRUE. Option to ignore the API rate limit.

Example Usage:

$represent = new PHPRepresent\API();
$path = 'boundaries';
$params = ['sets' => ['toronto-wards', 'ottawa-wards']];
$represent->get($path, $params);

getAll($path, $params);

Returns all results from API path and parameters provided.

Parameters:

• $path - The API Path of your request.
• $params - $_GET variables you want to append to the request. Allows supplying multiple values per key by array or comma seperated.

Example Usage:

$represent = new PHPRepresent\API();
$path = 'boundaries';
$params = ['sets' => 'toronto-wards,ottawa-wards'];
$represent->getAll($path, $params);

postcode($postcode);

Find representatives and boundaries by postal code.

Parameters:

• $postcode - Post code to find representatives and boundaries for.

Example Usage:

$represent = new PHPRepresent\API();
$represent->postcode('L5G4L3');

boundarySets($name, $params);

Return boundary sets which are groups of electoral districts, like BC provincial districts or Toronto wards.

Parameters:

• $name - Optional, if provided will return the singular boundary set.
• $params - $_GET variables you want to append to the request. Allows supplying multiple values per key by array or comma seperated.

Example Usage:

$represent = new PHPRepresent\API();
$represent->boundarySets();

boundaries($boundarySet, $name, $representatives, $params)

Return boundaries of electoral districts, can be proved a set like toronto-wards for boundaries of a singular set.

All Parameters are optional however $name requires you provide $boundarySet and $representatives requires you provided both $boundarySet and $name

Parameters:

• $boundarySet - Optional, if provided returns boundaries from a singular boundary set
• $name - Optional, if provided will return a singular boundary
• $representatives - Optional, if provided will return representatives for the boundary.
• $params - Optional, $_GET variables you want to append to the request. Allows supplying multiple values per key by array or comma seperated.

Example Usage:

$represent = new PHPRepresent\API();
// One Set
$represent->boundaries('toronto-wards');
// Multiple Sets
$represent->boundaries(null, null, false,  ['sets' => ['toronto-wards', 'ottawa-wards']]);

representativeSets($set);

Returns all or a singular representative set.

A representative set is a group of elected officials, like the House of Commons or Toronto City Council.

Parameters:

• $set - Optional, if provided will return the singular represenative set.

Example Usage:

$represent = new PHPRepresent\API();
$represent->representativeSets('north-dumfries-township-council');

representatives($set, $params);

Returns a list of representatives.

Parameters:

• $set - Optional, if provided will return the represenatives for a singular set.
• $params - Optional, $_GET variables you want to append to the request. Allows supplying multiple values per key by array or comma seperated.

Example Usage:

$represent = new PHPRepresent\API();
$represent->representatives('house-of-commons');

elections($election);

Returns a list of elections or a singular election.

This doesn't have any data right now so I am usnure if this is working correctly.

Parameters:

• $election - Optional, if provided will return the a singular election based on provided ID.

Example Usage:

$represent = new PHPRepresent\API();
$represent->elections();

candidates($election, $params);

Returns a list of all candidates for all elections or all candidates for a singular election

This doesn't have any data right now so I am unsure if this is working correctly.

Parameters:

• $election - Optional, if provided will return the candidates for a singular election.
• $params - Optional, $_GET variables you want to append to the request. Allows supplying multiple values per key by array or comma seperated.

Example Usage:

$represent = new PHPRepresent\API();
$represent->candidates();

setInsecure();

Option to disable using HTTPS, if for example you are having certificate problems while testing this out.

Note: You really shouldn't use this in Production

Example Usage:

$represent = new PHPRepresent\API();
$represent->setInsecure();
$represent->boundaries('toronto-wards');

setRateLimit($limit);

Option to set the rate limit (per minute) to whatever you choose. The default rate limit is 60 requests per minute.

Note: Don't change this unless you have agreed upon a higher rate limit with Open North otherwise you're going to get HTTP 503 errors

Example Usage:

$represent = new PHPRepresent\API();
$represent->setRateLimit(42);
$represent->boundaries('ottawa-wards');