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

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of Duda API integration? You're in for a treat. Duda's API is a powerhouse for managing websites, and we're about to harness that power in C#. This guide will walk you through creating a robust integration that'll have you manipulating sites, content, and e-commerce functionality like a pro.

Prerequisites

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

• Visual Studio or your favorite C# IDE
• .NET Core 3.1 or later
• Duda API credentials (if you don't have these, hop over to Duda's developer portal and grab 'em)

Got all that? Great! Let's get our hands dirty.

Setting up the project

Fire up Visual Studio and create a new C# project. We're going for a class library here, but feel free to adjust based on your needs.

Now, let's grab some packages. Open up your Package Manager Console and run:

Install-Package Newtonsoft.Json
Install-Package RestSharp

These will make our lives easier when dealing with JSON and HTTP requests.

Authentication

Duda uses API keys and secrets for authentication. Let's create a helper class to handle this:

public class DudaAuthHelper
{
    private readonly string _apiKey;
    private readonly string _apiSecret;

    public DudaAuthHelper(string apiKey, string apiSecret)
    {
        _apiKey = apiKey;
        _apiSecret = apiSecret;
    }

    public string GetAuthorizationHeader()
    {
        var credentials = Convert.ToBase64String(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes($"{_apiKey}:{_apiSecret}"));
        return $"Basic {credentials}";
    }
}

Simple, right? This class will generate our Authorization header when we need it.

Making API requests

Now for the meat and potatoes. Let's create a base class for our API calls:

public class DudaApiClient
{
    private readonly string _baseUrl = "https://api.duda.co/api";
    private readonly DudaAuthHelper _authHelper;

    public DudaApiClient(string apiKey, string apiSecret)
    {
        _authHelper = new DudaAuthHelper(apiKey, apiSecret);
    }

    public async Task<T> MakeRequest<T>(string endpoint, Method method, object body = null)
    {
        var client = new RestClient(_baseUrl);
        var request = new RestRequest(endpoint, method);
        
        request.AddHeader("Authorization", _authHelper.GetAuthorizationHeader());
        request.AddHeader("Accept", "application/json");

        if (body != null)
        {
            request.AddJsonBody(body);
        }

        var response = await client.ExecuteAsync<T>(request);
        
        if (!response.IsSuccessful)
        {
            throw new Exception($"API request failed: {response.ErrorMessage}");
        }

        return response.Data;
    }
}

This MakeRequest method is your Swiss Army knife for API calls. It handles authentication, sets up the request, and even throws an exception if something goes wrong.

Implementing core Duda API endpoints

Now that we've got our foundation, let's implement some key Duda API functionalities:

public class DudaApi : DudaApiClient
{
    public DudaApi(string apiKey, string apiSecret) : base(apiKey, apiSecret) { }

    public async Task<Site> GetSite(string siteName)
    {
        return await MakeRequest<Site>($"/sites/multiscreen/{siteName}", Method.GET);
    }

    public async Task<Content> GetContent(string siteName)
    {
        return await MakeRequest<Content>($"/sites/multiscreen/{siteName}/content", Method.GET);
    }

    public async Task UpdateContent(string siteName, Content content)
    {
        await MakeRequest<object>($"/sites/multiscreen/{siteName}/content", Method.POST, content);
    }

    // Add more methods for other endpoints as needed
}

Error handling and logging

We've already got basic error handling in our MakeRequest method, but let's beef it up a bit:

public async Task<T> MakeRequest<T>(string endpoint, Method method, object body = null)
{
    try
    {
        // ... existing code ...

        if (!response.IsSuccessful)
        {
            _logger.LogError($"API request failed: {response.ErrorMessage}");
            throw new DudaApiException($"API request failed: {response.ErrorMessage}", response.StatusCode);
        }

        _logger.LogInformation($"API request successful: {endpoint}");
        return response.Data;
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        _logger.LogError($"Exception in API request: {ex.Message}");
        throw;
    }
}

Don't forget to inject an ILogger into your DudaApiClient class for this to work.

Testing the integration

Now's the time to put our creation through its paces. Write some unit tests for your methods, and try out some real API calls:

[Fact]
public async Task GetSite_ReturnsValidSite()
{
    var api = new DudaApi("your-api-key", "your-api-secret");
    var site = await api.GetSite("test-site-name");
    
    Assert.NotNull(site);
    Assert.Equal("test-site-name", site.Name);
}

Best practices and optimization

A couple of quick tips to keep your integration running smoothly:

1. Implement rate limiting to avoid hitting Duda's API limits.
2. Cache frequently accessed data to reduce API calls.
3. Use asynchronous methods consistently for better performance.

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid foundation for a Duda API integration in C#. You've got authentication, request handling, error management, and even some core API methods implemented.

Remember, this is just the beginning. There's a whole world of Duda API endpoints out there waiting for you to explore. So go forth, expand on this foundation, and build something awesome!

Happy coding, and may your API calls always return 200 OK!