Step by Step Guide to Building a BambooHR API Integration in Go

Aug 14, 2024 • 5 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow Go enthusiast! Ready to dive into the world of BambooHR API integration? You're in for a treat. We'll be using the github.com/darrenparkinson/bamboohr package to make our lives easier. This nifty little package will help us interact with BambooHR's API like a pro. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

Go installed (I know, obvious, right?)
A BambooHR API key (if you don't have one, go bug your HR department)
A basic understanding of Go and APIs (but you're a smart cookie, so I'm sure you've got this)

Setting Up the Project

First things first, let's create a new Go module:

mkdir bamboohr-integration && cd bamboohr-integration
go mod init github.com/yourusername/bamboohr-integration

Now, let's grab that bamboohr package:

go get github.com/darrenparkinson/bamboohr

Initializing the BambooHR Client

Time to get our hands dirty. Let's create a new file called main.go and start coding:

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "log"

    "github.com/darrenparkinson/bamboohr"
)

func main() {
    client := bamboohr.New("your-api-key", "your-subdomain")
    // We'll add more code here soon!
}

Fetching Employee Data

Let's fetch some employee data, shall we?

employee, err := client.GetEmployee(123) // Replace 123 with an actual employee ID
if err != nil {
    log.Fatalf("Error fetching employee: %v", err)
}
fmt.Printf("Employee: %+v\n", employee)

Retrieving Custom Reports

Custom reports are where the real magic happens. First, create a report in BambooHR, then:

report, err := client.GetReport("custom_report_id")
if err != nil {
    log.Fatalf("Error fetching report: %v", err)
}
fmt.Printf("Report data: %+v\n", report)

Updating Employee Information

Need to update some info? No sweat:

updates := map[string]interface{}{
    "firstName": "John",
    "lastName": "Doe",
}
err := client.UpdateEmployee(123, updates) // Again, use a real employee ID
if err != nil {
    log.Fatalf("Error updating employee: %v", err)
}
fmt.Println("Employee updated successfully!")

Got a ton of employees? Let's paginate through them:

var allEmployees []bamboohr.Employee
page := 1
for {
    employees, err := client.ListEmployees(bamboohr.ListEmployeesOptions{
        Page: page,
    })
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatalf("Error fetching employees: %v", err)
    }
    if len(employees) == 0 {
        break
    }
    allEmployees = append(allEmployees, employees...)
    page++
}
fmt.Printf("Total employees: %d\n", len(allEmployees))

Error Handling and Best Practices

Always check for errors (which you've been doing, right?). Also, be mindful of rate limits. BambooHR isn't a fan of being bombarded with requests. Play nice!

time.Sleep(time.Second) // A simple way to avoid hitting rate limits

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now a BambooHR API integration wizard. We've covered the basics, but there's always more to explore. Why not try fetching time off requests or managing job information next?

Resources

Now go forth and integrate! Your HR department will thank you (maybe).