Step by Step Guide to Building an Affinity API Integration in Python

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of Affinity API integration? You're in for a treat. Affinity's API is a powerhouse for managing relationships and data, and we're about to harness that power with Python. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

Before we jump in, make sure you've got:

• A Python environment (3.6+ recommended)
• requests library installed (pip install requests)
• Your Affinity API credentials (if you don't have them, grab them from your Affinity account)

Authentication

First things first, let's get you authenticated:

import requests

API_KEY = 'your_api_key_here'
headers = {
    'Authorization': f'Bearer {API_KEY}',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}

Pro tip: Keep that API key safe! Consider using environment variables for production.

Basic API Request Structure

Affinity's API is RESTful, so we'll be working with standard HTTP methods. Here's a quick example:

BASE_URL = 'https://api.affinity.co/api/v1'

def make_request(endpoint, method='GET', data=None):
    url = f'{BASE_URL}/{endpoint}'
    response = requests.request(method, url, headers=headers, json=data)
    response.raise_for_status()
    return response.json()

Implementing Core Functionalities

Let's tackle some basic operations:

Fetching Lists

def get_lists():
    return make_request('lists')

lists = get_lists()
print(f"You have {len(lists)} lists.")

Retrieving Persons

def get_person(person_id):
    return make_request(f'persons/{person_id}')

person = get_person(12345)
print(f"Hello, {person['first_name']}!")

Creating New Entries

def create_person(data):
    return make_request('persons', method='POST', data=data)

new_person = create_person({
    'first_name': 'John',
    'last_name': 'Doe',
    'emails': [{'email': '[email protected]'}]
})
print(f"Created person with ID: {new_person['id']}")

Handling Pagination

Affinity uses cursor-based pagination. Here's how to handle it:

def get_all_items(endpoint):
    items = []
    next_cursor = None
    while True:
        params = {'cursor': next_cursor} if next_cursor else {}
        response = make_request(endpoint, params=params)
        items.extend(response['items'])
        next_cursor = response.get('next_cursor')
        if not next_cursor:
            break
    return items

Error Handling and Rate Limiting

Always be prepared for the unexpected:

import time

def make_request_with_retry(endpoint, method='GET', data=None, max_retries=3):
    for attempt in range(max_retries):
        try:
            return make_request(endpoint, method, data)
        except requests.exceptions.HTTPError as e:
            if e.response.status_code == 429:  # Rate limit exceeded
                wait_time = int(e.response.headers.get('Retry-After', 60))
                print(f"Rate limit hit. Waiting {wait_time} seconds...")
                time.sleep(wait_time)
            else:
                raise
    raise Exception("Max retries exceeded")

Data Processing and Integration

Once you've got your data, it's time to put it to work:

def process_persons(persons):
    for person in persons:
        # Do something with each person
        print(f"Processing {person['first_name']} {person['last_name']}")
        # Integrate with your app's logic here

all_persons = get_all_items('persons')
process_persons(all_persons)

Advanced Features

Want to level up? Try implementing search functionality:

def search_persons(query):
    return make_request('persons/search', method='POST', data={'query': query})

results = search_persons('John')
print(f"Found {len(results)} matches.")

Best Practices

• Cache frequently accessed data to reduce API calls
• Use batch operations when possible to minimize requests
• Always validate and sanitize data before sending it to the API

Testing and Debugging

Don't forget to test your integration thoroughly:

import unittest

class TestAffinityIntegration(unittest.TestCase):
    def test_get_lists(self):
        lists = get_lists()
        self.assertIsInstance(lists, list)
        self.assertTrue(len(lists) > 0)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    unittest.main()

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid foundation for your Affinity API integration. Remember, this is just the beginning. The Affinity API has a lot more to offer, so don't be afraid to explore and expand on what we've covered here.

Keep coding, keep learning, and most importantly, have fun with it! If you run into any snags, the Affinity API docs are your best friend. Now go forth and build something awesome!