Step by Step Guide to Building a Formstack API Integration in Go

Introduction

Hey there, fellow Go enthusiast! Ready to dive into the world of Formstack API integration? You're in for a treat. We'll be building a robust integration that'll make your forms work harder than ever. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

• A Go environment that's up and running
• Your Formstack API credentials (if you don't have these, hop over to your Formstack account and grab 'em)

Setting up the project

First things first, let's get our project structure sorted:

mkdir formstack-integration
cd formstack-integration
go mod init formstack-integration

Now, let's grab the dependencies we'll need:

go get github.com/go-resty/resty/v2
go get golang.org/x/oauth2

Authentication

Alright, time to tackle OAuth 2.0. Don't worry, it's not as scary as it sounds:

import (
    "golang.org/x/oauth2"
)

func getClient() *oauth2.Config {
    return &oauth2.Config{
        ClientID:     "YOUR_CLIENT_ID",
        ClientSecret: "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET",
        Endpoint: oauth2.Endpoint{
            AuthURL:  "https://www.formstack.com/api/v2/oauth2/authorize",
            TokenURL: "https://www.formstack.com/api/v2/oauth2/token",
        },
        RedirectURL: "YOUR_REDIRECT_URL",
        Scopes:      []string{"forms.read", "submissions.read", "submissions.write"},
    }
}

Basic API Requests

Let's create a reusable API client:

import "github.com/go-resty/resty/v2"

func newAPIClient(token string) *resty.Client {
    return resty.New().
        SetAuthToken(token).
        SetBaseURL("https://www.formstack.com/api/v2")
}

Core Formstack Operations

Now for the fun part - let's interact with Formstack:

func getForms(client *resty.Client) ([]Form, error) {
    var response FormsResponse
    _, err := client.R().
        SetResult(&response).
        Get("/form.json")
    return response.Forms, err
}

func getSubmissions(client *resty.Client, formID string) ([]Submission, error) {
    var response SubmissionsResponse
    _, err := client.R().
        SetResult(&response).
        Get("/form/" + formID + "/submission.json")
    return response.Submissions, err
}

func createSubmission(client *resty.Client, formID string, data map[string]string) error {
    _, err := client.R().
        SetFormData(data).
        Post("/form/" + formID + "/submission.json")
    return err
}

Advanced Features

Want to handle webhooks? Here's a quick example:

func handleWebhook(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
    // Parse the webhook payload
    var payload WebhookPayload
    json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(&payload)

    // Process the webhook data
    // ...

    w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
}

Error Handling and Logging

Don't forget to handle those pesky errors:

import "log"

func handleAPIError(err error) {
    if err != nil {
        log.Printf("API Error: %v", err)
        // Handle the error appropriately
    }
}

Testing

Testing is crucial. Here's a simple example:

func TestGetForms(t *testing.T) {
    client := newAPIClient("test_token")
    forms, err := getForms(client)
    if err != nil {
        t.Errorf("Expected no error, got %v", err)
    }
    if len(forms) == 0 {
        t.Error("Expected forms, got none")
    }
}

Optimization and Best Practices

Remember to implement caching where it makes sense:

var formsCache map[string]Form
var cacheExpiration time.Time

func getCachedForms(client *resty.Client) ([]Form, error) {
    if time.Now().Before(cacheExpiration) {
        return formsCache, nil
    }
    forms, err := getForms(client)
    if err == nil {
        formsCache = forms
        cacheExpiration = time.Now().Add(1 * time.Hour)
    }
    return forms, err
}

Deployment Considerations

When deploying, use environment variables for sensitive info:

import "os"

func getAPIKey() string {
    return os.Getenv("FORMSTACK_API_KEY")
}

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid Formstack API integration in Go. Remember, this is just the beginning - there's always room to expand and improve. Keep exploring the Formstack API docs for more features you can integrate.

Happy coding, and may your forms always be in top shape! 🚀