Step by Step Guide to Building a Housecall Pro API Integration in Ruby

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of Housecall Pro API integration? You're in for a treat. This guide will walk you through building a robust integration using Ruby. We'll cover everything from setup to advanced features, so buckle up!

Prerequisites

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

• A Ruby environment (2.7+ recommended)
• Bundler installed
• Housecall Pro API credentials (if you don't have these, hop over to their developer portal)

Setting up the project

Let's get this show on the road:

mkdir housecall_pro_integration
cd housecall_pro_integration
bundle init

Now, open up that Gemfile and add these gems:

gem 'faraday'
gem 'dotenv'

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

Authentication

Housecall Pro uses OAuth 2.0. Here's how to implement it:

require 'faraday'
require 'dotenv/load'

client_id = ENV['HOUSECALL_CLIENT_ID']
client_secret = ENV['HOUSECALL_CLIENT_SECRET']

conn = Faraday.new(url: 'https://api.housecallpro.com')

response = conn.post('/oauth/token') do |req|
  req.body = {
    grant_type: 'client_credentials',
    client_id: client_id,
    client_secret: client_secret
  }
end

token = JSON.parse(response.body)['access_token']

Making API requests

Now that we've got our token, let's make some requests:

api = Faraday.new(
  url: 'https://api.housecallpro.com',
  headers: {
    'Authorization' => "Bearer #{token}",
    'Content-Type' => 'application/json'
  }
)

# Fetch customers
customers = api.get('/v1/customers').body

Core API functionalities

Let's implement some key features:

# Create a job
job = api.post('/v1/jobs', JSON.generate({
  customer_id: '123',
  scheduled_at: Time.now.iso8601
})).body

# Update job status
api.patch("/v1/jobs/#{job['id']}", JSON.generate({
  status: 'completed'
}))

# Retrieve invoices
invoices = api.get('/v1/invoices').body

Error handling and rate limiting

Always be prepared for the unexpected:

def make_request(method, path, body = nil)
  retries = 0
  begin
    response = api.send(method, path, body)
    raise 'Rate limited' if response.status == 429
    response.body
  rescue => e
    retries += 1
    if retries < 3
      sleep(2 ** retries)
      retry
    else
      raise e
    end
  end
end

Data parsing and storage

Parse that JSON and store it if needed:

require 'json'
require 'sqlite3'

customers = JSON.parse(make_request(:get, '/v1/customers'))

db = SQLite3::Database.new 'housecall.db'
db.execute("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS customers (id TEXT, name TEXT)")

customers.each do |customer|
  db.execute("INSERT INTO customers VALUES (?, ?)", [customer['id'], customer['name']])
end

Building a simple CLI interface (optional)

Want to interact with your integration? Here's a quick CLI:

loop do
  print "Enter command (list, create, quit): "
  command = gets.chomp

  case command
  when 'list'
    puts JSON.pretty_generate(make_request(:get, '/v1/customers'))
  when 'create'
    print "Enter customer name: "
    name = gets.chomp
    puts make_request(:post, '/v1/customers', JSON.generate({name: name}))
  when 'quit'
    break
  else
    puts "Unknown command"
  end
end

Testing the integration

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

require 'rspec'

RSpec.describe 'Housecall Pro Integration' do
  it 'fetches customers successfully' do
    customers = make_request(:get, '/v1/customers')
    expect(customers).to be_an(Array)
    expect(customers.first).to have_key('id')
  end
end

Best practices and optimization

To keep things speedy:

1. Implement caching for frequently accessed data.
2. Use background jobs for time-consuming operations.
3. Batch API requests when possible.

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid Housecall Pro API integration in Ruby. Remember, this is just the beginning - there's always room to expand and improve. Keep exploring the API docs, and happy coding!