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

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of Lofty API integration? You're in for a treat. Lofty's API opens up a treasure trove of real estate investment opportunities, and we're about to harness that power with PHP. This guide will walk you through the process, assuming you're already a PHP pro. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

• PHP 7.4+ (because who doesn't love type hinting?)
• Composer (your trusty dependency manager)
• Lofty API credentials (can't access the goodies without 'em)

Setting Up the Environment

First things first, let's get our environment ready:

composer require guzzlehttp/guzzle

Now, create a .env file for your API credentials:

LOFTY_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
LOFTY_API_SECRET=your_api_secret_here

Basic API Connection

Time to create our base API client. Here's a quick and dirty implementation:

<?php

use GuzzleHttp\Client;

class LoftyApiClient
{
    private $client;
    private $apiKey;
    private $apiSecret;

    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->apiKey = getenv('LOFTY_API_KEY');
        $this->apiSecret = getenv('LOFTY_API_SECRET');
        $this->client = new Client([
            'base_uri' => 'https://api.lofty.com/v1/',
            'headers' => [
                'Authorization' => 'Basic ' . base64_encode($this->apiKey . ':' . $this->apiSecret),
                'Content-Type' => 'application/json',
            ],
        ]);
    }

    // We'll add more methods here soon!
}

Implementing Core API Endpoints

Let's add some methods to interact with Lofty's core endpoints:

public function listProperties(array $params = [])
{
    return $this->request('GET', 'properties', ['query' => $params]);
}

public function getProperty(string $propertyId)
{
    return $this->request('GET', "properties/{$propertyId}");
}

public function placeInvestment(string $propertyId, float $amount)
{
    return $this->request('POST', 'investments', [
        'json' => [
            'property_id' => $propertyId,
            'amount' => $amount,
        ],
    ]);
}

private function request(string $method, string $endpoint, array $options = [])
{
    $response = $this->client->request($method, $endpoint, $options);
    return json_decode($response->getBody(), true);
}

Error Handling and Rate Limiting

Let's add some retry logic and respect those rate limits:

private function request(string $method, string $endpoint, array $options = [])
{
    $maxRetries = 3;
    $retryDelay = 1000; // milliseconds

    for ($attempt = 0; $attempt <= $maxRetries; $attempt++) {
        try {
            $response = $this->client->request($method, $endpoint, $options);
            return json_decode($response->getBody(), true);
        } catch (\Exception $e) {
            if ($attempt === $maxRetries) {
                throw $e;
            }
            usleep($retryDelay * 1000);
            $retryDelay *= 2; // Exponential backoff
        }
    }
}

Data Processing and Storage

Now, let's process and store that juicy data:

public function syncProperties()
{
    $properties = $this->listProperties();
    foreach ($properties as $property) {
        // Assuming you have a Property model
        Property::updateOrCreate(
            ['lofty_id' => $property['id']],
            [
                'address' => $property['address'],
                'price' => $property['price'],
                // ... other fields
            ]
        );
    }
}

Webhooks Integration

If Lofty supports webhooks, here's a quick example of how to handle them:

public function handleWebhook(array $payload)
{
    switch ($payload['event']) {
        case 'investment.created':
            // Process new investment
            break;
        case 'property.sold':
            // Update property status
            break;
        // ... other events
    }
}

Testing the Integration

Don't forget to test! Here's a simple PHPUnit test to get you started:

public function testListProperties()
{
    $client = new LoftyApiClient();
    $properties = $client->listProperties();
    
    $this->assertIsArray($properties);
    $this->assertNotEmpty($properties);
    $this->assertArrayHasKey('id', $properties[0]);
}

Best Practices and Optimization

To keep things speedy:

1. Implement caching for frequently accessed data.
2. Use asynchronous requests for non-blocking operations.
3. Batch API calls when possible to reduce network overhead.

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid foundation for your Lofty API integration. Remember, this is just the beginning. As you dive deeper, you'll discover more ways to leverage the API and create amazing features for your users.

Keep exploring, keep coding, and most importantly, have fun with it! The world of real estate investing is at your fingertips. Now go forth and build something awesome!