ShortURL is a very simple library to use URL shortening services.

ShortURL is available as a gem, installation is just like any other gem: $ gem install shorturl

You can also download the tar.bz2 archive at rubyforge.org/frs/?group_id=732 if you do not want to use the gem.

Here is the list of the services supported by ShortURL:

• tinyurl.com

• shorl.com

• snipurl.com

• metamark.net

• makeashorterlink.com

• skinnylink.com

• linktrim.com

• shorterlink.com

• minilink.org

• ln-s.net

• fyad.org

• d62.net

• littlink.com

• clipurl.com

• 0rz.net

• moourl.com

• urltea.com

• vurl.me

• bit.ly

• is.gd

• git.io

• va.mu

call-seq:

require "shorturl"
puts ShortURL.shorten("http://mypage.com")
puts ShortURL.shorten("http://mypage.com", :moourl)

The second parameter represents the service you want to use. These are:

• :tinyurl

• :shorl

• :snipurl

• :metamark

• :makeashorterlink

• :skinnylink

• :linktrim

• :shorterlink

• :minlink

• :lns

• :fyad

• :d62

• :littlink

• :clipurl

• :orz

• :moourl

• :urltea

• :vurl

• :bitly**

You can use ShortURL.valid_services to obtain a list of the valid services (in case I forget to update the documentation)

Bitly**

Their API changed to require an API key.

Two painfree steps to fix this.

1) Get yours easily right now from:

http://bitly.com/a/your_api_key

2) Save it in ~/.shorturl similar to this YAML template:

— Start of file ~/.shorturl —

---
bitly:
  username: O_adsfasdfasfasfd
  key: R_afasdfasdfasdf

— END of file ~/.shorturl —

You're done!  Have a martini.  Cheers.

• Marcel Molina Jr., Devin Mullins for some ideas

• imperator from #ruby-lang (I don’t know your real name, sorry) for helping me with creating and uploading a RubyGem

• Daniel Dipaolo for telling me about ln-s.net and fyad.org

• Vincent Foley (original developer)

• Robby Russell <[email protected]>