Step by Step Guide to Building a CompanyCam API Integration in C#

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of CompanyCam API integration? You're in for a treat. This guide will walk you through building a robust integration in C#, allowing you to tap into CompanyCam's powerful features for managing projects and photos. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

• Visual Studio or your favorite C# IDE
• .NET Core 3.1 or later
• A CompanyCam account and API key (if you don't have one, hop over to their developer portal and snag one)

Setting up the project

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

1. Fire up Visual Studio and create a new C# Console Application.
2. Install the following NuGet packages:

   Install-Package Newtonsoft.Json
   Install-Package RestSharp
   

Authentication

Now, let's set up our authentication. CompanyCam uses API key authentication, so we'll create a base HTTP client:

using RestSharp;

public class CompanyCamClient
{
    private readonly RestClient _client;

    public CompanyCamClient(string apiKey)
    {
        _client = new RestClient("https://api.companycam.com/v2");
        _client.AddDefaultHeader("Authorization", $"Bearer {apiKey}");
    }

    // We'll add methods here later
}

Basic API Requests

Let's implement some basic GET and POST requests:

public async Task<string> GetProjects()
{
    var request = new RestRequest("projects", Method.GET);
    var response = await _client.ExecuteAsync(request);
    return response.Content;
}

public async Task<string> CreateProject(string name)
{
    var request = new RestRequest("projects", Method.POST);
    request.AddJsonBody(new { name });
    var response = await _client.ExecuteAsync(request);
    return response.Content;
}

Implementing Core Functionalities

Now that we've got the basics down, let's implement some core functionalities:

public async Task<string> UploadPhoto(int projectId, string filePath)
{
    var request = new RestRequest($"projects/{projectId}/photos", Method.POST);
    request.AddFile("photo", filePath);
    var response = await _client.ExecuteAsync(request);
    return response.Content;
}

public async Task<string> AddTag(int photoId, string tagName)
{
    var request = new RestRequest($"photos/{photoId}/tags", Method.POST);
    request.AddJsonBody(new { name = tagName });
    var response = await _client.ExecuteAsync(request);
    return response.Content;
}

Error Handling and Rate Limiting

Let's add some error handling and respect those rate limits:

private async Task<IRestResponse> ExecuteWithRetry(RestRequest request, int maxAttempts = 3)
{
    for (int i = 0; i < maxAttempts; i++)
    {
        var response = await _client.ExecuteAsync(request);
        if (response.IsSuccessful)
            return response;

        if (response.StatusCode == System.Net.HttpStatusCode.TooManyRequests)
        {
            await Task.Delay(1000 * (i + 1));  // Exponential backoff
            continue;
        }

        throw new Exception($"API request failed: {response.ErrorMessage}");
    }

    throw new Exception("Max retry attempts reached");
}

Asynchronous Operations

As you've noticed, we're using async/await throughout our code. This is crucial for maintaining responsiveness in your application, especially when dealing with network requests.

Data Models

To make our lives easier, let's create some data models:

public class Project
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    // Add other properties as needed
}

public class Photo
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Url { get; set; }
    // Add other properties as needed
}

Testing the Integration

Don't forget to test your integration! Here's a quick example:

[TestMethod]
public async Task TestGetProjects()
{
    var client = new CompanyCamClient("your-api-key");
    var result = await client.GetProjects();
    Assert.IsNotNull(result);
    // Add more assertions as needed
}

Best Practices

Remember to:

• Keep your API key secure (use environment variables or secure storage)
• Implement proper error handling and logging
• Use dependency injection for better testability
• Consider implementing a caching mechanism for frequently accessed data

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid foundation for your CompanyCam API integration in C#. From here, you can expand on this base, adding more endpoints and functionalities as needed.

Remember, the key to a great integration is understanding the API documentation thoroughly and writing clean, maintainable code. Keep exploring, keep coding, and most importantly, have fun with it!

Happy coding, and may your builds always be successful! 🚀