Step by Step Guide to Building a Big Cartel API Integration in Ruby

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of Big Cartel API integration with Ruby? Let's roll up our sleeves and get coding!

Introduction

Big Cartel's API is a powerful tool that lets you tap into their e-commerce platform. Whether you're building a custom app or integrating Big Cartel with your existing systems, this guide will walk you through the process. We'll keep things concise and focused on what you need to know.

Prerequisites

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

• Ruby 2.7+ installed
• The httparty and oauth2 gems
• A Big Cartel account with API credentials

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

Setting up the project

First things first, let's set up our project:

mkdir big_cartel_integration
cd big_cartel_integration
bundle init

Now, add these lines to your Gemfile:

gem 'httparty'
gem 'oauth2'

Run bundle install, and we're good to go!

Authentication

Big Cartel uses OAuth 2.0 for authentication. Here's a quick implementation:

require 'oauth2'

client = OAuth2::Client.new(
  'YOUR_CLIENT_ID',
  'YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET',
  site: 'https://api.bigcartel.com'
)

token = client.client_credentials.get_token

Keep that token handy; we'll need it for our requests.

Making API requests

Now for the fun part! Let's make a basic GET request:

require 'httparty'

response = HTTParty.get(
  'https://api.bigcartel.com/v1/products',
  headers: {
    'Authorization' => "Bearer #{token.token}",
    'Accept' => 'application/vnd.api+json'
  }
)

puts response.body

Don't forget to handle pagination and errors. The API uses cursor-based pagination, so keep an eye on those next links!

Core API endpoints

Big Cartel's main endpoints are:

• /products
• /orders
• /customers
• /categories

Each of these supports standard CRUD operations. Speaking of which...

CRUD operations

Creating a resource? Here's how:

response = HTTParty.post(
  'https://api.bigcartel.com/v1/products',
  headers: {
    'Authorization' => "Bearer #{token.token}",
    'Content-Type' => 'application/vnd.api+json',
    'Accept' => 'application/vnd.api+json'
  },
  body: {
    data: {
      type: 'products',
      attributes: {
        name: 'Awesome T-Shirt',
        price: 19.99
      }
    }
  }.to_json
)

Updating and deleting follow a similar pattern. Easy peasy!

Webhooks

Webhooks are your friends for real-time updates. Set them up in your Big Cartel account, then handle the events in your app:

post '/webhook' do
  payload = JSON.parse(request.body.read)
  # Handle the event based on payload['type']
end

Rate limiting and best practices

Big Cartel has rate limits, so be nice! Implement retry logic and respect the limits. Your future self will thank you.

Testing

Don't forget to test! Mock those API responses:

RSpec.describe BigCartelApi do
  it 'fetches products' do
    stub_request(:get, 'https://api.bigcartel.com/v1/products')
      .to_return(status: 200, body: '{"data": []}', headers: {})
    
    # Your test code here
  end
end

Deployment considerations

When deploying, keep those API credentials safe! Use environment variables and never, ever commit them to your repo.

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now equipped to build awesome integrations with Big Cartel's API. Remember, the official documentation is your best friend for detailed info.

Now go forth and code something amazing! 🚀