Quizbowl DB

Quizbowl DB is an online framework that provides quizbowlers (see NAQT) with an easy way to learn, practice, and play with others.

Features

• Search - a search interface that allows users to find questions in the database. Users can filter based on such parameters as difficulty and category. It can also retrieve randomized results
• Reader - a game-like interface, inspired by the UMD Quizbowl Tester. It displays questions word by word at specified speed, and users can then buzz in on questions and answer when they know it. The framework does some smart answer analysis to determine if the answer is correct, and notifies the user
• Multiplayer - the newest feature, it allows users to play against each other in the style of the reader. The frameworks allows users to create rooms with certain specifications, join rooms, and play in a realistic quizbowl game, with score tracking and with arbitrary team size specifications

Technology

At the top, Quizbowl DB operates with a MySQL database, with a Solr indexing for full-text search. The core framework is written in node.js, with Expressjs for routing. The framework serves up a REST API that allow access to the 3 features. For the multiplayer game, the realtime communication and server events are handled with Bridge. Also implemented is a web interface, also completely in javascript. It uses the REST API and Bridge to interface with the server. It also utilizes BackboneJS, jQuery, some minimal Bootstrap, qTip, and Mustache for templating.

API

The API is divided into two parts: REST and Bridge

The REST API gives you access to the such things as the searching service, the browsing service, and other static things. The Bridge component allows you to hook into the realtime services of the framework, such as the chat, ticker, and multiplayer.

Base URL: http://www.quizbowldb.com/api

Endpoints:

• /tournament/
• /tournament/:id/
• /category/
• /service/
• /tossup/:id/

Services:

• Search: /service/?method=tossup.search

Example: http://quizbowldb.com/api/search/?random=true&limit=1&params%5Bdifficulty%5D=HS&params%5Bcategory%5D=Literature

• Answer Checking: /service/?method=answer.check

Example: http://quizbowldb.com/api/service?method=answer.check&answer=dickens&canon=George%20Eliot%20[or%20Mary%20Ann%20Evans]

To get access to the Bridge API, you will need some a Bridge API Key. Please email me at sharad.vikram@gmail.com.