Step by Step Guide to Building a bexio API Integration in PHP

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your PHP application with bexio's powerful API? You're in the right place. We'll be using the awesome onlime/bexio-api-client package to make our lives easier. Let's dive in and get your bexio integration up and running in no time!

Prerequisites

Before we jump into the code, make sure you've got:

• A PHP environment (7.4+ recommended)
• Composer installed (trust me, it's a lifesaver)
• bexio API credentials (if you don't have these yet, hop over to the bexio developer portal)

Got all that? Great! Let's move on.

Installation

First things first, let's get that onlime/bexio-api-client package installed. Fire up your terminal and run:

composer require onlime/bexio-api-client

Easy peasy, right?

Configuration

Now, let's set up those API credentials. Create a new PHP file and add this:

<?php

use Bexio\Client;

$clientId = 'your_client_id';
$clientSecret = 'your_client_secret';
$scopes = ['article', 'contact']; // Add the scopes you need

$bexio = new Client($clientId, $clientSecret, $scopes);

Authentication

Time for the OAuth 2.0 dance! Here's how to get that access token:

$authUrl = $bexio->getAuthorizationUrl();
// Redirect the user to $authUrl

// After the user grants access, you'll get a code
$code = $_GET['code'];
$token = $bexio->getAccessToken($code);

// Store this token securely!

Basic API Requests

Now for the fun part - let's start making some requests!

GET request

$contacts = $bexio->contacts()->getAll();

POST request

$newContact = $bexio->contacts()->create([
    'name_1' => 'John Doe',
    'email' => '[email protected]'
]);

PUT request

$updatedContact = $bexio->contacts()->update($contactId, [
    'name_1' => 'Jane Doe'
]);

DELETE request

$bexio->contacts()->delete($contactId);

Error Handling

Don't forget to wrap your requests in try-catch blocks:

try {
    $contacts = $bexio->contacts()->getAll();
} catch (\Exception $e) {
    echo "Oops! Something went wrong: " . $e->getMessage();
}

Advanced Usage

Pagination

$page = 1;
$limit = 50;
$contacts = $bexio->contacts()->getAll($page, $limit);

Filtering and Sorting

$filter = ['name_1' => 'John'];
$order = ['name_1' => 'ASC'];
$contacts = $bexio->contacts()->search($filter, $order);

Best Practices

• Keep an eye on those rate limits! bexio's not too strict, but it's good to be mindful.
• Cache responses when you can. Your app will thank you later!

Testing

Unit testing is your friend. Mock those API responses:

$mockClient = $this->createMock(Client::class);
$mockClient->method('contacts')->willReturn([/* mocked data */]);

Deployment Considerations

• Keep those API credentials safe! Use environment variables.
• Consider using a job queue for long-running operations.

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now a bexio API integration wizard. Remember, practice makes perfect, so keep experimenting and building awesome stuff. If you get stuck, the bexio API docs and the onlime/bexio-api-client GitHub page are great resources.

Now go forth and code! 🚀