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

Aug 14, 2024 • 7 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of LearnDash API integration with Go? You're in for a treat. LearnDash, the popular WordPress LMS plugin, offers a robust API that we can leverage to create some seriously cool integrations. In this guide, we'll walk through building a Go-based integration that'll have you manipulating course data like a pro.

Prerequisites

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

Go installed on your machine (you knew that was coming, right?)
LearnDash API credentials (if you don't have these, time to sweet-talk your WordPress admin)
Your favorite code editor at the ready

Setting up the project

Let's kick things off by setting up our project:

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

Easy peasy! Now we've got our project structure ready to rock.

Authentication

LearnDash uses OAuth 2.0 for authentication. Let's implement that flow:

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

func getClient() *http.Client {
    config := &oauth2.Config{
        ClientID:     "your-client-id",
        ClientSecret: "your-client-secret",
        Endpoint:     oauth2.Endpoint{
            AuthURL:  "https://your-site.com/oauth/authorize",
            TokenURL: "https://your-site.com/oauth/token",
        },
    }

    token := &oauth2.Token{
        AccessToken: "your-access-token",
        TokenType:   "Bearer",
    }

    return config.Client(context.Background(), token)
}

Pro tip: In a real-world scenario, you'd want to implement token refreshing and secure storage. But for now, this'll get us up and running.

Core API Functions

Now for the fun part - let's interact with the LearnDash API:

func fetchCourses(client *http.Client) ([]Course, error) {
    resp, err := client.Get("https://your-site.com/wp-json/ldlms/v2/sfwd-courses")
    // Handle response and parsing here
}

func enrollUser(client *http.Client, userID, courseID int) error {
    // Implement enrollment logic
}

func updateCourseCompletion(client *http.Client, userID, courseID int, completed bool) error {
    // Implement course completion update
}

These are just stubs, but you get the idea. Fill these out with proper request handling and response parsing, and you'll be manipulating LearnDash data like a boss.

Error Handling and Logging

Don't forget to implement solid error handling and logging. Your future self will thank you:

import (
    "log"
)

func logError(err error) {
    log.Printf("Error: %v", err)
}

// Use this in your API functions
if err != nil {
    logError(err)
    return nil, err
}

Rate Limiting and Caching

Be a good API citizen - implement rate limiting and caching:

import (
    "github.com/patrickmn/go-cache"
    "golang.org/x/time/rate"
)

var (
    limiter = rate.NewLimiter(rate.Limit(10), 1) // 10 requests per second
    c       = cache.New(5*time.Minute, 10*time.Minute)
)

func fetchWithCache(key string, fetcher func() (interface{}, error)) (interface{}, error) {
    if x, found := c.Get(key); found {
        return x, nil
    }
    limiter.Wait(context.Background())
    data, err := fetcher()
    if err == nil {
        c.Set(key, data, cache.DefaultExpiration)
    }
    return data, err
}

Testing

You're a pro, so I know you're going to write tests. Here's a quick example to get you started:

func TestFetchCourses(t *testing.T) {
    client := getClient()
    courses, err := fetchCourses(client)
    if err != nil {
        t.Errorf("fetchCourses() error = %v", err)
        return
    }
    if len(courses) == 0 {
        t.Errorf("fetchCourses() returned no courses")
    }
}

Example Use Cases

Now that we've got our integration up and running, the possibilities are endless. You could:

Sync LearnDash course data with your company's HR system
Generate custom reports on student progress
Create a mobile app that interacts with LearnDash courses

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a LearnDash API integration in Go. With this foundation, you can create some seriously powerful tools to enhance your LearnDash-based learning platform.

Remember, this is just the beginning. There's always room for improvement - consider adding more robust error handling, implementing a full OAuth flow with token refreshing, or expanding the API coverage to include more LearnDash features.

Now go forth and code! Your LearnDash integration awaits.

Resources

Happy coding, and may your integration be ever scalable!