How to setup an application on facebook on 4 easy steps:

Step 1

Go to: http://www.facebook.com/developers/

Once there click on the “Set up New Application” button.

Step 2:

Fill the fields on this page, also agree with the “Facebook Terms” (there is a link to read it) then click on “Create Application”.

Step 3 Basic Information:

Api Key: You must save this on since you are going to need it on the future for your application’s development.

Secret: also needed for application development.

Bookmark URL:  URL of your application so the users can bookmark it on facebook, usually http://apps.facebook.com/myappname

The other information to fill is just informative or aesthetic since it references to the description and icons to use in your application, the User-Facing URL are set according to your help, privacy and conditions of your application.

Step 4 Canvas:

Canvas Page URL: The base URL for your canvas pages on Facebook.

Render Method:

IFrame:

  • Are easier and faster if you have an existing application, widget, or website if the application utilizes XFBML
  • Let you use the JavaScript, HTML, and CSS that you are used to
  • Debugging regular HTML and JavaScript is easier than for FBML and FBJS given the tools available today
  • Allow you to use popular JavaScript libraries like jQuery in your code

FBML:

  • Lets you quickly start building an application from scratch, which is good for a new Facebook developer.
  • Is likely to be faster on first page loads
  • Has fewer moving parts and the paradigm is closer to that of the traditional Web
  • Gives you easy access to lots of Facebook elements
  • Has a sensible authorization mechanism

Step 3 Connect:

This is an important step if you are going to use JavaScript API or facebook connect inside your application.

Connect URL: this is the URL of your application wherever is hosted since there you will have a file named xd_receiver.htm (this file is the one receiving all the calls from the facebook JavaScript API to enable the cross domain for the Ajax calls)

The other fields can be left in blank or filled with the necessary information according to whatever you want to do with your facebook application.

After this 4 steps facebook is ready to load your application.