Wolfram Alpha API Hits the Streets

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For those following the news surrounding Wolfram’s Alpha release, you now have something new to chew on.  They’re officially appealing to the code junkie in all of us by releasing their API to allow developes to query the Wolfram system.  Just as Google has an API set, Wolfram has an API to access their services in a tightly coupled manner directly from your application.

Overwhelmingly, developers see Wolfram Alpha as a platform for building a business – providing commercial services that leverage Wolfram Alpha’s unique capabilities,” enthused the firm’s Schoeller Porter in a blog post.

The API allows your application to interact with Wolfram|Alpha much like you do on the web—you send a web request with the same query string you would type into Wolfram|Alpha’s query box and you get back the same computed results. It’s just that both are in a form your application can understand.

Wolfram hasn’t yet released any details on early adopters from the application’s point of view.  They’ve seen interest from over 2,000 unique ideas on how to use the new API set, but no official word on who/what/where.  If you’re interested in using the API, make sure and check out the pricing plans first.  Also be sure to check out their documentation.