Step by Step Guide to Building a Bloomerang API Integration in JS

Hey there, fellow dev! Ready to dive into the world of Bloomerang API integration? Let's roll up our sleeves and get coding!

Introduction

Bloomerang's API is a powerful tool for nonprofits, and we're about to harness that power with some JavaScript magic. This guide will walk you through creating a robust integration that'll make your nonprofit clients jump for joy.

Prerequisites

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

• A Bloomerang account with API credentials
• Node.js and npm installed on your machine
• Your JavaScript A-game (but I know you've got that covered!)

Setting up the project

Let's kick things off by setting up our project:

mkdir bloomerang-integration
cd bloomerang-integration
npm init -y
npm install axios dotenv

Authentication

First things first, let's get that authentication sorted:

1. Grab your API key and token from your Bloomerang account.
2. Create a .env file in your project root:

BLOOMERANG_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
BLOOMERANG_API_TOKEN=your_api_token_here

Making API requests

Time to create our base API client. Create a file called api.js:

require('dotenv').config();
const axios = require('axios');

const api = axios.create({
  baseURL: 'https://api.bloomerang.co/v2',
  headers: {
    'X-API-Key': process.env.BLOOMERANG_API_KEY,
    'X-API-Token': process.env.BLOOMERANG_API_TOKEN,
  },
});

module.exports = api;

Implementing key Bloomerang API endpoints

Let's create some functions to interact with Bloomerang. Create a file called bloomerang.js:

const api = require('./api');

async function getConstituent(id) {
  const response = await api.get(`/constituent/${id}`);
  return response.data;
}

async function createConstituent(data) {
  const response = await api.post('/constituent', data);
  return response.data;
}

async function createDonation(data) {
  const response = await api.post('/transaction', data);
  return response.data;
}

module.exports = {
  getConstituent,
  createConstituent,
  createDonation,
};

Error handling and logging

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

const winston = require('winston');
const logger = winston.createLogger(/* your config here */);

async function safeApiCall(apiFunction, ...args) {
  try {
    return await apiFunction(...args);
  } catch (error) {
    logger.error(`API call failed: ${error.message}`);
    throw error;
  }
}

Testing the integration

Time to put our code to the test! Create a file called test.js:

const { getConstituent, createConstituent, createDonation } = require('./bloomerang');

async function runTests() {
  // Test getting a constituent
  const constituent = await getConstituent(12345);
  console.log('Retrieved constituent:', constituent);

  // Test creating a constituent
  const newConstituent = await createConstituent({
    firstName: 'John',
    lastName: 'Doe',
    email: '[email protected]',
  });
  console.log('Created new constituent:', newConstituent);

  // Test creating a donation
  const donation = await createDonation({
    constituentId: newConstituent.id,
    amount: 100,
    date: new Date().toISOString(),
  });
  console.log('Created donation:', donation);
}

runTests().catch(console.error);

Best practices and optimization

To keep your integration running smoothly:

• Implement caching for frequently accessed data
• Use bulk operations when possible
• Keep an eye on rate limits and implement backoff strategies

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid Bloomerang API integration. Remember, this is just the beginning - there's a whole world of Bloomerang API endpoints to explore. Keep experimenting, keep building, and most importantly, keep making those nonprofits' lives easier with your awesome code!

Happy coding, and may your integrations always be bug-free! 🚀