Step by Step Guide to Building a Cal.com API Integration in C#

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

Introduction

Cal.com's API is a powerhouse for scheduling automation. We're about to harness that power in C#, giving your app the ability to manage bookings like a pro. Buckle up!

Prerequisites

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

• Visual Studio or your favorite C# IDE
• .NET 6.0 or later
• A Cal.com account with API access

Grab your API key from the Cal.com dashboard. You'll need it soon!

Setting up the project

Fire up Visual Studio and create a new C# project. We'll be using a console app for this guide, but feel free to integrate this into your existing project.

Now, let's get the necessary packages:

dotnet add package Newtonsoft.Json
dotnet add package RestSharp

Authentication

Authentication is straightforward with Cal.com. We'll use an API key for all our requests. Here's how to set it up:

var client = new RestClient("https://api.cal.com/v1/");
client.AddDefaultHeader("Authorization", $"Bearer {YOUR_API_KEY}");

Making API requests

Let's start with a basic GET request to fetch your user info:

var request = new RestRequest("me", Method.Get);
var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);

if (response.IsSuccessful)
{
    Console.WriteLine(response.Content);
}

Core functionality implementation

Now for the fun part! Let's implement some core features:

Retrieving available time slots

var request = new RestRequest("availability", Method.Get);
request.AddQueryParameter("eventTypeId", "YOUR_EVENT_TYPE_ID");
request.AddQueryParameter("startTime", "2023-06-01T00:00:00Z");
request.AddQueryParameter("endTime", "2023-06-30T23:59:59Z");

var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);
// Parse and handle the response

Creating a booking

var request = new RestRequest("bookings", Method.Post);
request.AddJsonBody(new
{
    eventTypeId = "YOUR_EVENT_TYPE_ID",
    start = "2023-06-15T10:00:00Z",
    end = "2023-06-15T11:00:00Z",
    name = "John Doe",
    email = "[email protected]"
});

var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);
// Handle the response

Error handling and best practices

Always wrap your API calls in try-catch blocks:

try
{
    var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);
    // Handle successful response
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"An error occurred: {ex.Message}");
}

Remember to respect rate limits. Cal.com is pretty generous, but it's always good practice to implement some form of rate limiting in your app.

Testing the integration

Unit test your methods and don't forget integration tests! Here's a quick example using xUnit:

[Fact]
public async Task GetAvailability_ReturnsValidResponse()
{
    var calApi = new CalComApi(API_KEY);
    var availability = await calApi.GetAvailability("EVENT_TYPE_ID", DateTime.Now, DateTime.Now.AddDays(7));
    Assert.NotNull(availability);
    Assert.NotEmpty(availability);
}

Optimization and performance

To boost performance, consider implementing caching for frequently accessed data. Also, use async/await throughout your code to keep your app responsive:

public async Task<List<TimeSlot>> GetAvailabilityAsync(string eventTypeId, DateTime start, DateTime end)
{
    // Implementation here
}

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a Cal.com API integration in C#. Pretty cool, right? Remember, this is just scratching the surface. The Cal.com API has a ton more features to explore.

Keep experimenting, keep coding, and most importantly, have fun with it! If you get stuck, the Cal.com API docs are your best friend. Happy coding!