Reading and Writing Data Using the EZ Texting API

Hey there, fellow JavaScript devs! Ready to dive into the world of SMS integration? Let's talk about the EZ Texting API and how we can use it to sync data for a slick user-facing integration. Buckle up, because we're going to move fast and cover a lot of ground!

Setting Up the EZ Texting API

First things first, let's get authenticated. EZ Texting uses API keys, so grab yours from your account settings. Here's how you'll use it:

const apiKey = 'your_api_key_here';
const baseUrl = 'https://api.eztexting.com/v1';

const headers = {
  'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  'Authorization': `Bearer ${apiKey}`
};

Reading Data

Fetching Contacts

Let's start by grabbing some contacts:

async function getContacts(page = 1, limit = 100) {
  const response = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/contacts?page=${page}&limit=${limit}`, { headers });
  return response.json();
}

Pro tip: Don't forget to handle pagination! The API returns 100 contacts by default, but you might have thousands.

Retrieving Message History

Want to see what messages you've sent? Here's how:

async function getMessageHistory(phoneNumber) {
  const response = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/messages?to=${phoneNumber}`, { headers });
  return response.json();
}

Writing Data

Creating New Contacts

Adding contacts is a breeze:

async function createContact(contactData) {
  const response = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/contacts`, {
    method: 'POST',
    headers,
    body: JSON.stringify(contactData)
  });
  return response.json();
}

Sending Messages

Time to reach out to your contacts:

async function sendMessage(to, message) {
  const response = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/messages`, {
    method: 'POST',
    headers,
    body: JSON.stringify({ to, message })
  });
  return response.json();
}

Syncing Data

Here's where things get interesting. Let's create a sync function that handles both initial and incremental syncs:

async function syncContacts(lastSyncTimestamp) {
  const contacts = await getContacts();
  const newContacts = contacts.filter(contact => new Date(contact.created_at) > lastSyncTimestamp);
  
  for (const contact of newContacts) {
    await createContactInLocalDB(contact);
  }
  
  return new Date();
}

Remember to handle conflicts! If a contact exists both locally and remotely, you'll need to decide which version to keep.

Error Handling and Rate Limiting

Don't let errors catch you off guard. Implement retry logic and respect those rate limits:

async function apiCall(fn, maxRetries = 3) {
  for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
    try {
      return await fn();
    } catch (error) {
      if (error.status === 429) {
        // Rate limited, wait and retry
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000 * (i + 1)));
      } else if (i === maxRetries - 1) {
        throw error;
      }
    }
  }
}

Optimizing Performance

Want to speed things up? Try batch operations:

async function batchUpdateContacts(contacts) {
  const response = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/contacts/batch`, {
    method: 'PUT',
    headers,
    body: JSON.stringify({ contacts })
  });
  return response.json();
}

Webhooks for Real-time Updates

Stay on top of changes with webhooks:

app.post('/webhook', (req, res) => {
  const { event, data } = req.body;
  switch (event) {
    case 'contact.created':
      createContactInLocalDB(data);
      break;
    case 'message.sent':
      updateMessageStatus(data);
      break;
  }
  res.sendStatus(200);
});

Wrapping Up

And there you have it! You're now equipped to build a robust, efficient integration with the EZ Texting API. Remember to keep your local data in sync, handle errors gracefully, and optimize for performance.

Happy coding, and may your messages always reach their destination!