Simplest bit.ly API implementation possible?

To use an URL shortener in your project, I would strongly recommend bit.ly. It let you set a custom URL (name) and track traffic, clicks and conversations on micro blogs. But best of all, it should be super-fast and super-stable, since Twitter recently chose bit.ly as their default URL shortening service.

Using the bit.ly REST API is also super-easy! Here is how you do it in Rails:

1. Sign up to get your API username/password here.


2. Get HTTParty if you don't already use it: sudo gem install httparty


3. Copy the code:
   

   require 'httparty'
   
   class Bitly
       include HTTParty
       base_uri 'api.bit.ly'
       basic_auth 'username', 'password'
       format :json
       def self.shorten(url)
           response = get('/shorten', :query => required_params.merge(:longUrl => url))
           response['results'][url]['shortUrl']
       end		
       def self.required_params
           	{:version => "2.0.1"}
       end
     end

   
   


4. Paste code into lib/bitly.rb. Usage: Bitly.shorten("longurl")

This is perfect for, as an example Tweeting your URL's. (I will get back to our Twitter API implementation at Newsdesk.)

The complete bit.ly API docs are here: http://code.google.com/p/bitly-api/wiki/ApiDocumentation

To extend and share this class - use my Gist: http://gist.github.com/112191