Step by Step Guide to Building a FreshBooks API Integration in PHP

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of FreshBooks API integration? You're in for a treat. We'll be using the awesome amcintosh/freshbooks-php-sdk package to make our lives easier. This guide assumes you're already familiar with PHP and have a knack for APIs. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

• A PHP environment up and running
• Composer installed (trust me, it's a lifesaver)
• FreshBooks API credentials (if you don't have these yet, hop over to the FreshBooks developer portal)

Installation

First things first, let's get that SDK installed. Fire up your terminal and run:

composer require amcintosh/freshbooks-php-sdk

Easy peasy, right?

Authentication

Now, let's tackle authentication. FreshBooks uses OAuth2, so we'll need to set up our client:

use amcintosh\FreshBooks\FreshBooksClient;

$client = new FreshBooksClient();
$authorizationUrl = $client->getAuthorizationUrl('your_redirect_uri');

// Redirect the user to $authorizationUrl

Once the user grants access, you'll receive a code. Use it to get your access token:

$token = $client->getAccessToken('authorization_code', [
    'code' => $_GET['code'],
    'redirect_uri' => 'your_redirect_uri'
]);

Basic Usage

With our token in hand, let's initialize the FreshBooks client:

$client = new FreshBooksClient();
$client->setAccessToken($token);

Now for the moment of truth - your first API call:

$me = $client->users->me();
echo "Hello, " . $me->name;

If you see your name, congratulations! You're in!

Common API Operations

Let's run through some operations you'll likely use often:

Fetching Clients

$clients = $client->clients->list();
foreach ($clients as $client) {
    echo $client->organization;
}

Creating Invoices

$invoice = $client->invoices->create([
    'customerid' => 12345,
    'create_date' => '2023-06-01',
    'lines' => [
        [
            'name' => 'Web Development',
            'amount' => 1000
        ]
    ]
]);

Updating Expenses

$client->expenses->update(67890, [
    'amount' => 150,
    'category' => 'Office Supplies'
]);

Listing Projects

$projects = $client->projects->list();
foreach ($projects as $project) {
    echo $project->title;
}

Error Handling

Nobody's perfect, and sometimes things go wrong. Let's catch those errors:

try {
    $result = $client->invoices->get(12345);
} catch (\amcintosh\FreshBooks\Exception\FreshBooksException $e) {
    echo "Oops! " . $e->getMessage();
}

Pagination and Filtering

Dealing with lots of data? Pagination's got your back:

$clients = $client->clients->list(['page' => 2, 'per_page' => 50]);

Need to filter? No problem:

$invoices = $client->invoices->list(['search' => ['date_min' => '2023-01-01']]);

Best Practices

• Keep an eye on rate limits. FreshBooks is generous, but don't go crazy with requests.
• Cache responses when you can. Your future self will thank you.

Testing

Don't forget to test your integration! The SDK comes with some handy mocking capabilities:

use amcintosh\FreshBooks\Model\Client;
use amcintosh\FreshBooks\Tests\Mocking;

$mock = new Mocking();
$mock->addMockResponse(new Client(['id' => 123, 'organization' => 'Acme Inc']));

$client = $mock->getMockClient();
$result = $client->clients->get(123);

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now equipped to build a robust FreshBooks integration. Remember, the official SDK documentation is your friend if you need more details.

Happy coding, and may your invoices always be paid on time!