Step by Step Guide to Building an involve.me API Integration in Ruby

Introduction

Hey there, fellow Ruby enthusiast! Ready to supercharge your projects with the involve.me API? This guide will walk you through creating a sleek integration that'll have you manipulating projects and form submissions like a pro. Let's dive in!

Prerequisites

Before we get our hands dirty, make sure you've got:

• Ruby 2.7+
• The httparty gem (we'll use this for API requests)
• Your involve.me API credentials (if you don't have these, hop over to your involve.me account settings)

Setting Up the Project

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

mkdir involve_me_integration
cd involve_me_integration
bundle init

Now, add this to your Gemfile:

gem 'httparty'

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

Authentication

Alright, time to get cozy with the involve.me API. Grab your API key from your account settings, and let's create a basic client:

require 'httparty'

class InvolveMeClient
  include HTTParty
  base_uri 'https://api.involve.me/v1'

  def initialize(api_key)
    @options = { headers: { 'Authorization' => "Bearer #{api_key}" } }
  end

  # We'll add more methods here soon!
end

Making API Requests

Now that we're authenticated, let's start making some requests. Here's a basic method to get all your projects:

def get_projects
  self.class.get('/projects', @options)
end

Easy peasy, right? You can call this method on your client instance to fetch all your projects.

Core API Functionalities

Let's add some more meat to our client. Here are methods for creating, updating, and deleting projects:

def create_project(name, description)
  self.class.post('/projects', @options.merge(body: { name: name, description: description }))
end

def update_project(id, attributes)
  self.class.put("/projects/#{id}", @options.merge(body: attributes))
end

def delete_project(id)
  self.class.delete("/projects/#{id}", @options)
end

Working with Form Submissions

Form submissions are the bread and butter of involve.me. Let's add a method to fetch submissions for a project:

def get_submissions(project_id)
  self.class.get("/projects/#{project_id}/submissions", @options)
end

Error Handling and Best Practices

The API might throw a curveball now and then. Let's add some error handling:

def handle_response
  response = yield
  case response.code
  when 200...300
    response
  when 429
    raise "Rate limit exceeded. Try again in #{response.headers['Retry-After']} seconds."
  else
    raise "API error: #{response.code} - #{response.message}"
  end
end

Now, wrap your API calls with this method:

def get_projects
  handle_response { self.class.get('/projects', @options) }
end

Advanced Features

Want to get notified when something happens? Let's set up a webhook:

def create_webhook(url, events)
  self.class.post('/webhooks', @options.merge(body: { url: url, events: events }))
end

Testing the Integration

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

RSpec.describe InvolveMeClient do
  let(:client) { InvolveMeClient.new('your_api_key') }

  it 'fetches projects' do
    VCR.use_cassette('projects') do
      response = client.get_projects
      expect(response.code).to eq(200)
      expect(response.parsed_response).to be_an(Array)
    end
  end
end

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a robust involve.me API integration in Ruby. From authentication to webhooks, you're now equipped to harness the full power of involve.me in your Ruby projects.

Remember, this is just the beginning. The involve.me API has a lot more to offer, so don't be afraid to explore and experiment. Happy coding!