Downloads Counts of GitHub users with more than 100 followers for three major locations

github_user_counts.R

########################################
# Download GitHub users with more than 100 followers for Berlin, Brooklyn, 
# and London
# Christopher Gandrud
# 20 October 2014
########################################

library(httr)
library(dplyr)
library(rjson)

# Create locations vector
locations <- c('Berlin', 'Brooklyn', 'London')

# Create empty vector for user counts
user_counts <- vector()

# Loop through the locations and download the user counts
## Note: the %23E turns into a greater than sign >
for (i in locations){
    # Download raw data
    URL_temp <- paste0('https://api.github.com/search/users?q=location:', i,
                      '+followers:%3E100')
    users <- GET(URL_temp) %>% 
                content(as = 'text') %>% 
                fromJSON()               
    
    # Extract counts of users that meet criteria for the location
    user_counts_temp <- users$total_count
    
    # Add to user_counts vector
    user_counts <- c(user_counts, user_counts_temp)
    
    # Sleep R for 5 seconds so you don't overload the API
    Sys.sleep(5); message('-')
}

# Combine locations and user counts data
location_counts <- data.frame(locations, user_counts)