Reading and Writing Data Using the Chargebee API

Hey there, fellow JavaScript devs! Ready to dive into the world of Chargebee API integration? Let's get our hands dirty with some code and learn how to sync data for a user-facing integration. Buckle up!

Setting Up the Chargebee API Client

First things first, let's get our Chargebee API client up and running. It's as easy as pie:

npm install chargebee

Now, let's configure and authenticate:

const chargebee = require('chargebee');
chargebee.configure({site: 'your-site', api_key: 'your-api-key'});

Reading Data from Chargebee

Time to fetch some data! Here's a nifty async function that grabs customer info, subscription details, and invoices in one go:

async function fetchCustomerData(customerId) {
  try {
    const [customer, subscription, invoices] = await Promise.all([
      chargebee.customer.retrieve(customerId).request(),
      chargebee.subscription.retrieve_with_items(customerId).request(),
      chargebee.invoice.list({customer_id: customerId}).request()
    ]);
    return { customer: customer.customer, subscription: subscription.subscription, invoices: invoices.list };
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error fetching customer data:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

Writing Data to Chargebee

Now, let's sync some local data with Chargebee:

async function syncCustomerData(localCustomer) {
  try {
    const customer = await chargebee.customer.create({
      id: localCustomer.id,
      first_name: localCustomer.firstName,
      last_name: localCustomer.lastName,
      email: localCustomer.email
    }).request();
    
    const subscription = await chargebee.subscription.create_with_items(
      customer.customer.id,
      {subscription_items: [{item_price_id: 'your-price-id'}]}
    ).request();
    
    return { customer: customer.customer, subscription: subscription.subscription };
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error syncing customer data:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

Implementing Real-time Data Sync

Webhooks are your best friend for real-time updates. Here's a quick Express.js webhook handler:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.post('/webhook', express.raw({type: 'application/json'}), (req, res) => {
  const event = JSON.parse(req.body);
  
  switch(event.event_type) {
    case 'subscription_created':
      // Handle new subscription
      break;
    case 'invoice_generated':
      // Handle new invoice
      break;
    // Add more cases as needed
  }
  
  res.sendStatus(200);
});

Error Handling and Rate Limiting

Always be prepared for API hiccups! Implement retry logic and respect those rate limits:

async function retryApiCall(apiFunction, maxRetries = 3) {
  for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
    try {
      return await apiFunction();
    } catch (error) {
      if (error.type === 'payment' || i === maxRetries - 1) throw error;
      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000 * Math.pow(2, i)));
    }
  }
}

Optimizing API Usage

Let's be efficient and implement a simple cache:

const NodeCache = require('node-cache');
const cache = new NodeCache({ stdTTL: 600 }); // 10 minutes

async function getCachedCustomer(customerId) {
  const cachedCustomer = cache.get(customerId);
  if (cachedCustomer) return cachedCustomer;
  
  const customer = await chargebee.customer.retrieve(customerId).request();
  cache.set(customerId, customer);
  return customer;
}

Testing and Debugging

Always use Chargebee's test environment for development. And don't forget to log those API calls:

const winston = require('winston');
const logger = winston.createLogger({
  level: 'info',
  format: winston.format.json(),
  transports: [new winston.transports.Console()]
});

// Wrap your API calls with logging
async function loggedApiCall(apiFunction) {
  logger.info('API call started', { function: apiFunction.name });
  const result = await apiFunction();
  logger.info('API call completed', { function: apiFunction.name });
  return result;
}

And there you have it! You're now equipped to read and write data like a pro using the Chargebee API. Remember, practice makes perfect, so keep coding and experimenting. Happy integrating!