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

Introduction

Hey there, fellow Go enthusiast! Ready to dive into the world of Front API integration? You're in for a treat. Front's API is a powerhouse for managing customer communications, and we're about to harness that power with our favorite language, Go. Let's build something awesome together!

Prerequisites

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

• A Go environment set up (I know you've probably got this covered)
• Front API credentials (if you don't have these yet, hop over to Front's developer portal)

Setting up the project

Let's kick things off by creating a new Go module:

mkdir front-api-integration
cd front-api-integration
go mod init github.com/yourusername/front-api-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

Front uses OAuth 2.0, so let's set that up:

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

func getClient(ctx context.Context) *http.Client {
    config := &oauth2.Config{
        ClientID:     "YOUR_CLIENT_ID",
        ClientSecret: "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET",
        Endpoint: oauth2.Endpoint{
            AuthURL:  "https://app.frontapp.com/oauth/authorize",
            TokenURL: "https://app.frontapp.com/oauth/token",
        },
    }

    token := &oauth2.Token{
        AccessToken: "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN",
    }

    return config.Client(ctx, token)
}

Pro tip: In a production environment, you'll want to securely store and refresh these tokens. But for now, this'll get us rolling.

Making API requests

Let's create a basic HTTP client using the awesome resty library:

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

func newFrontClient(httpClient *http.Client) *resty.Client {
    return resty.NewWithClient(httpClient).
        SetBaseURL("https://api2.frontapp.com").
        SetHeader("Accept", "application/json").
        SetHeader("Content-Type", "application/json")
}

Core API operations

Now for the fun part! Let's implement some core operations:

Fetching conversations

func getConversations(client *resty.Client) ([]Conversation, error) {
    var result struct {
        Conversations []Conversation `json:"_results"`
    }
    _, err := client.R().
        SetResult(&result).
        Get("/conversations")
    return result.Conversations, err
}

Sending messages

func sendMessage(client *resty.Client, conversationID, content string) error {
    _, err := client.R().
        SetBody(map[string]interface{}{
            "author_id": "alt:email:[email protected]",
            "body": content,
            "type": "comment",
        }).
        Post(fmt.Sprintf("/conversations/%s/messages", conversationID))
    return err
}

Error handling and logging

Don't forget to implement robust error handling and logging. Here's a quick example:

import "log"

func handleAPIError(err error) {
    if err != nil {
        log.Printf("API Error: %v", err)
        // Implement your error handling logic here
    }
}

Testing the integration

Testing is crucial. Here's a simple test to get you started:

func TestGetConversations(t *testing.T) {
    client := newFrontClient(getClient(context.Background()))
    conversations, err := getConversations(client)
    if err != nil {
        t.Fatalf("Failed to get conversations: %v", err)
    }
    if len(conversations) == 0 {
        t.Error("Expected at least one conversation, got none")
    }
}

Best practices

As you build out your integration, keep these tips in mind:

• Structure your code into packages for better organization
• Use interfaces for easier testing and flexibility
• Implement proper rate limiting to respect Front's API limits

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid foundation for a Front API integration in Go. Remember, this is just the beginning. The Front API has a ton of endpoints to explore, so keep building and expanding your integration.

Happy coding, Gopher! 🚀