What is SMS Application?

SMS Application is an application that can be used to provide services like news, sports, travel information, chat etc. by communicating through SMS. It can be built using any programming language like Java, C, C++, Perl, PHP, Python etc.

Examples

Several applications, which use the SMSGupShup AppPlatform, like Chat, MovieMeter, LoveMeter, Quiz are already live. For example, you can sms LOVE to 56767888 and experience the LoveMeter application.

What you need

• Knowledge of any programming language
• Understanding of web applications and the ability to host one
• Familiarity with JSON, XML.

Application Setup with SMSGupShup

• Register your application by sending an email to apps[at]smsgupshup[dot]com including your application description, keyword required and AppURL. A few terms that you should know :
  • AppUrl : URL of the server where you plan to host your application. AppPlatform will forward all requests for your application to this URL.
  • Keyword : A unique word which an application user will send with the SMS which lets the AppPlatform resolve the application that the user wants to interact with.

Application Setup on your host

Once you have registered your application with SMSGupShup, its time to build the application and host it.

• SMSGupShup communicates with an application via the AppUrl which is provided while registering the application. So make sure that you have hosted your application on the correct URL.
• A brief description of environment variables which are passed in every call is below:
  • MSISDN : Sender's phone number in case of incoming. For outgoing it should be the recipient's number.
  • content : Content of the SMS message.
• The platform, on receiving a SMS meant for your application, will call the AppUrl with sender's phone number (msisdn) and content of the message, for example
  <AppUrl>?msisdn=919811384697&content=Hello+Hi
• The outgoing messages generated by your App in response to the incoming message, should be sent in the response of the above mentioned HTTP GET call as JSON / XML string.
• JSON format
  
  [ { "msisdn":"919811956807", "content":"Hi karan, you got Hi from 919811384697"},
  {"msisdn":"919953681038", "content":"Hi Dheeraj, you got Hi from 919811384697"} ]
• XML format
  
  <ApplicationResponse>
  

  <Response>
  

  <msisdn>919811956807</msisdn>
  <content>Hi karan, you got Hi from 919811384697</content>
  

  </Response>
  <Response>
  

  <msisdn>919953681038</msisdn>
  <content>Hi Dheeraj, you got Hi from 919811384697</content>
  

  </Response>
  

  <ApplicationResponse>
  

Sample Application: HelloWorld

"HelloWorld" is a very simple application. It returns a "Hello, This is simple application" message in response to any request sent to this application.

Register Application

Build your application and let SMS GupShup know about it by sending an email to apps[at]smsgupshup[dot]com including your application description, keyword required and AppURL

PHP Implementation

• Request url:<AppUrl>?msisdn=919811956807&content=Hi
• Response generated : [ { "msisdn":"919811956807", "content":"Hello, This is simple application" } ]
• Application code:
  <?php
  

  $msisdn = $_GET["msisdn"];
  $content = $_GET["content"];
  $reply = "Hello, This is simple application";
  $a = array('msisdn'=>$msisdn, 'content'=>$reply);
  $json_response = json_encode($a);
  echo "[$json_response]";
  

  ?>
  

FAQs