A couple of weeks ago, our technical writer came up with a marvellous idea for a configuration - or a mix, as we call it - using SPARKL.

The mix provides an effective tool which takes stock exchange/code (e.g. nyse:aapl) data, requested by a user in a form, and pulls the latest stock price from Google Finance. Within seconds the user is sent a text with the stock price information.

We've put the tool online for everyone to try here. Have a go!

The mix powering the tool makes the web page, Google Finance and TwilioSMS work together to send you a text message.

Instead of the usual black box code, the SPARKL Sequencing Engine uses our Clear Box® configuration to plan the required sequence of events, based on:

  • What machines, applications or systems you have
  • What their capabilities are
  • What results you need

The complicated bits of the mix - the Twilio service sending the text, the Google API getting the stock price - already exist. It took our developer no time at all to integrate these services to work with SPARKL.

mix

The stock price mix on the SPARKL Developer Console

All we needed to do was to 'connect the dots' on the SPARKL Developer Console. This provides a cheerful drag-and-drop user interface (as above) where you can build mixes to your heart's content.

For example, you could expand the stock tool by adding:

  • A small portfolio of stocks you're interested in
  • Timed events which keep you up-to-date on price changes
  • Conditionalised events which alert you when the prices exceed a threshold

And so on. This mix is just a tiny example of you can build with SPARKL - think of the Developer Console as your toolbox.

SPARKL is available to download now - check out pricing and technical documentation for more information. Any questions, drop the team an email at talk@sparkl.com.