Step by Step Guide to Building a Formsite API Integration in Ruby

Aug 16, 2024 • 5 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow Ruby enthusiast! Ready to dive into the world of Formsite API integration? You're in for a treat. We'll be walking through the process of building a robust integration that'll have you pulling and pushing data like a pro. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

Ruby 2.7+ (because who doesn't love the latest and greatest?)
The httparty and json gems (our trusty sidekicks for this adventure)
Your Formsite API credentials (can't storm the castle without the keys, right?)

Setting up the project

First things first, let's get our project off the ground:

mkdir formsite_integration
cd formsite_integration
bundle init

Now, crack open that Gemfile and add:

gem 'httparty'
gem 'json'

Run bundle install, and we're off to the races!

Authentication

Alright, time to make nice with the Formsite API. Grab your API key from your Formsite account and let's set up those auth headers:

require 'httparty'
require 'json'

class FormsiteAPI
  include HTTParty
  base_uri 'https://fsX.formsite.com/api/v2'
  
  def initialize(api_key)
    @options = { headers: { 'Authorization' => "Bearer #{api_key}" } }
  end
end

Making API requests

Now for the fun part - let's start chatting with the API:

def get_forms
  self.class.get('/forms', @options)
end

def submit_form(form_id, data)
  self.class.post("/forms/#{form_id}/results", @options.merge(body: data.to_json))
end

Parsing and processing data

When the API responds, we'll need to make sense of it:

def parse_forms(response)
  JSON.parse(response.body)['forms'].map { |form| form['name'] }
end

Error handling and logging

Let's not forget to handle those pesky errors:

def api_request
  yield
rescue HTTParty::Error => e
  puts "HTTP Error: #{e.message}"
rescue StandardError => e
  puts "General Error: #{e.message}"
end

Building helper methods

Time to make our lives easier with some helper methods:

def get_form_by_name(name)
  api_request do
    forms = get_forms
    forms.find { |form| form['name'] == name }
  end
end

Testing the integration

Don't forget to test! Here's a quick example using RSpec:

RSpec.describe FormsiteAPI do
  let(:api) { FormsiteAPI.new('your_api_key') }

  it 'fetches forms successfully' do
    VCR.use_cassette('get_forms') do
      response = api.get_forms
      expect(response.code).to eq(200)
    end
  end
end

Best practices and optimization

Remember to respect rate limits and consider caching responses for frequently accessed data. Your future self will thank you!

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a sleek Formsite API integration in Ruby. With this foundation, you can fetch form data, submit responses, and even build more complex workflows. The sky's the limit!

Resources

Now go forth and integrate with confidence! Happy coding!