In technology, a mashup is a web application that combines data from more than one source into a single integrated tool; an example is the use of cartographic data from Google Maps to add location information to real-estate data, thereby creating a new and distinct web service that was not originally provided by either source.
Mashup originally referred to the practice in pop music (notably hip-hop) of producing a new song by mixing two or more existing pieces together
Content used in mashups is typically sourced from a third party via a public interface or API (web services), although some in the community believe that cases where private interfaces are used should not count as mashups. Other methods of sourcing content for mashups include Web feeds (e.g. RSS or Atom), and screen scraping. Many people are experimenting with mashups using Amazon, eBay, Flickr, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and YouTube APIs, which has led to the creation of the mashup editor.
The architecture of Mashup web applications is always composed of three parts:
- The content provider: it is the source of the data. Data is made available using an API and different Web-protocols such as RSS, REST, and Web Service
- The Mashup site: is the web application which provides the new service using different data sources that are not owned by it.
- The client web browser: is the user interface of the Mashup. In a web-application, the content can be mashed by the client web browsers using client side web language for example JavaScript.
Mashups should be differentiated from simple embedding of data from another site to form compound documents. A site that allows a user to embed a Youtube video for instance, is not a mashup site. As outlined above, the site should itself access 3rd party data using an API, and process that data in some way to increase its value to the sites's users.
Types of mashups
Mashups currently come in three general flavors: consumer mashups, data mashups, and business mashups.
The best known type is the consumer mashup, best exemplified by the many Google Maps applications. Consumer mashups combine data elements from multiple sources, hiding this behind a simple unified graphical interface.
Other common types are "data mashups" and "enterprise mashups". A data mashup mixes data of similar types from different sources (see Yahoo Pipes), as for example combining the data from multiple RSS feeds into a single feed with a graphical front end. An enterprise mashup (see JackBe), usually integrates data from internal and external sources - for example, it could create a market share report by combining an external list of all houses sold in the last week with internal data about which houses one agency sold.
A business mashup is a combination of all the above, focusing on both data aggregation and presentation, and additionally adding collaborative functionality, making the end result suitable for use as a business application.
Mashups within mashups are known as 'monster mashups'.
Examples
Mashups can be divided into four main categories, mapping, video & photo, search & shopping and news.
Some examples of each are:
Mapping
Chicago Crime
The Chicago Police Department has a mashup which integrates the department’s database of reported crimes with Google Maps in order to help stop crime in areas and warn citizens of areas where the crime rate is high.
WikiCrimes
WikiCrimes is a wiki-style website where internet users can report crimes by placing pins on a GoogleMaps based map. The website classifies crimes as Robbery, Theft or Other by pin colour
Video and Photo
Flickr
Flickr is an image storage site that allows users to organise their collection of images and share them. Through the use of its Application Programming Interface (API) the content can be used by other sites to create a mashup. Flickrvision is an example of a mashup made using Flickr's API.
Search and Shopping
Travature
Travature is a travel portal which has integrated airfare meta search engines, wiki travel guides, hotel reviews. It also allows the user to share photos and discuss experiences with other travellers.
News
Digg
Mashup of various news websites controlled almost entirely by the users of the website.
