Step by Step Guide to Building a GitHub API Integration in C#

Introduction

Hey there, fellow dev! Ready to dive into the world of GitHub API integration? We'll be using Octokit, a slick C# library that makes working with GitHub's API a breeze. Whether you're building a custom CI/CD pipeline or just want to automate some GitHub tasks, this guide has got you covered.

Prerequisites

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

• Visual Studio or your favorite C# IDE
• A GitHub account (duh!)
• A personal access token (we'll talk about this in a sec)

Setting up the project

First things first, let's get our project set up:

1. Fire up Visual Studio and create a new C# console app.
2. Open up the NuGet Package Manager and search for "Octokit".
3. Install the latest version of Octokit. Easy peasy!

Initializing the GitHub client

Now, let's get our hands dirty with some code:

using Octokit;

var client = new GitHubClient(new ProductHeaderValue("YourAwesomeApp"));

This creates a new GitHub client. The ProductHeaderValue is just a way to identify your app to GitHub. Be creative!

Authentication

Time to use that personal access token I mentioned earlier:

client.Credentials = new Credentials("your-personal-access-token");

Pro tip: Never hardcode your token in your source code. Use environment variables or a secure configuration manager.

Basic API operations

Let's start with some basic operations to get our feet wet:

// Get the authenticated user
var user = await client.User.Current();
Console.WriteLine($"Hello, {user.Name}!");

// List repositories
var repos = await client.Repository.GetAllForCurrent();
foreach (var repo in repos)
{
    Console.WriteLine(repo.Name);
}

// Create a new repository
var newRepo = new NewRepository("awesome-new-repo")
{
    Description = "This repo is awesome!",
    Private = false
};
await client.Repository.Create(newRepo);

Working with issues

Issues are a big part of GitHub. Here's how to work with them:

// Get issues for a repository
var issues = await client.Issue.GetAllForRepository("owner", "repo");

// Create a new issue
var newIssue = new NewIssue("Found a bug!")
{
    Body = "Everything is on fire!"
};
await client.Issue.Create("owner", "repo", newIssue);

// Update an existing issue
var issueUpdate = new IssueUpdate
{
    State = ItemState.Closed
};
await client.Issue.Update("owner", "repo", 1, issueUpdate);

Managing pull requests

Pull requests are where the magic happens:

// List pull requests
var prs = await client.PullRequest.GetAllForRepository("owner", "repo");

// Create a pull request
var newPr = new NewPullRequest("Amazing new feature", "feature-branch", "main")
{
    Body = "This PR adds an amazing new feature!"
};
await client.PullRequest.Create("owner", "repo", newPr);

// Merge a pull request
await client.PullRequest.Merge("owner", "repo", 1, new MergePullRequest());

Handling rate limiting

GitHub has rate limits, so let's be good citizens:

var apiInfo = await client.Miscellaneous.GetRateLimits();
if (apiInfo.Resources.Core.Remaining < 10)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Approaching rate limit, better slow down!");
}

Error handling and best practices

Always wrap your API calls in try-catch blocks:

try
{
    // Your API call here
}
catch (RateLimitExceededException)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Oops! Hit the rate limit. Time for a coffee break!");
}
catch (AuthorizationException)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Authentication failed. Check your token!");
}
catch (ApiException ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"GitHub API error: {ex.Message}");
}

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now equipped to build some awesome GitHub integrations. Remember, this is just scratching the surface. Octokit has a ton more features, so don't be afraid to dive into the docs and experiment.

Happy coding, and may your pull requests always be mergeable! 🚀