Step by Step Guide to Building a Loomly API Integration in Python

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your social media management with Loomly's API? Let's dive into building a Python integration that'll make your life easier and your social media game stronger.

Prerequisites

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

• Python 3.x installed (you're a pro, so I'm sure you do)
• Your favorite IDE at the ready
• requests library (pip install requests)
• Loomly API credentials (if you don't have 'em, grab 'em from your Loomly account)

Authentication

First things first, let's get you authenticated:

import requests

API_KEY = 'your_api_key_here'
headers = {
    'Authorization': f'Bearer {API_KEY}',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}

Pro tip: Keep that API key safe! Use environment variables in production.

Basic API Requests

Let's start with the basics. Here's how you make a GET request:

response = requests.get('https://api.loomly.com/v1/calendars', headers=headers)
print(response.json())

And here's a POST request to create a post:

data = {
    "post": {
        "calendar_id": 123,
        "content": "Check out our new product!",
        "scheduled_at": "2023-06-01T10:00:00Z"
    }
}
response = requests.post('https://api.loomly.com/v1/posts', headers=headers, json=data)
print(response.json())

Core Functionalities

Now that you've got the hang of it, let's tackle some core functionalities:

Fetching Calendars

def get_calendars():
    response = requests.get('https://api.loomly.com/v1/calendars', headers=headers)
    return response.json()

Creating a Post

def create_post(calendar_id, content, scheduled_at):
    data = {
        "post": {
            "calendar_id": calendar_id,
            "content": content,
            "scheduled_at": scheduled_at
        }
    }
    response = requests.post('https://api.loomly.com/v1/posts', headers=headers, json=data)
    return response.json()

Updating a Post

def update_post(post_id, content):
    data = {
        "post": {
            "content": content
        }
    }
    response = requests.patch(f'https://api.loomly.com/v1/posts/{post_id}', headers=headers, json=data)
    return response.json()

Deleting a Post

def delete_post(post_id):
    response = requests.delete(f'https://api.loomly.com/v1/posts/{post_id}', headers=headers)
    return response.status_code == 204

Advanced Features

Ready to level up? Let's explore some advanced features:

Scheduling Posts

def schedule_post(calendar_id, content, scheduled_at):
    return create_post(calendar_id, content, scheduled_at)

Managing Assets

def upload_asset(file_path):
    with open(file_path, 'rb') as file:
        files = {'file': file}
        response = requests.post('https://api.loomly.com/v1/assets', headers=headers, files=files)
    return response.json()

Error Handling and Best Practices

Always expect the unexpected! Here's a simple error handling wrapper:

def api_request(method, url, **kwargs):
    try:
        response = requests.request(method, url, headers=headers, **kwargs)
        response.raise_for_status()
        return response.json()
    except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
        print(f"API request failed: {e}")
        return None

Remember to respect rate limits and implement exponential backoff for retries.

Example Use Case: Simple Post Scheduler

Let's put it all together with a simple post scheduler:

import datetime

def schedule_weekly_post(calendar_id, content, day_of_week, time):
    today = datetime.date.today()
    days_ahead = day_of_week - today.weekday()
    if days_ahead <= 0:
        days_ahead += 7
    next_date = today + datetime.timedelta(days=days_ahead)
    scheduled_at = datetime.datetime.combine(next_date, time).isoformat()
    return schedule_post(calendar_id, content, scheduled_at)

# Usage
schedule_weekly_post(123, "It's Friday! #TGIF", 4, datetime.time(10, 0))

Testing and Validation

Don't forget to test your integration! Here's a simple unit test to get you started:

import unittest

class TestLoomlyIntegration(unittest.TestCase):
    def test_get_calendars(self):
        calendars = get_calendars()
        self.assertIsNotNone(calendars)
        self.assertIsInstance(calendars, list)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    unittest.main()

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a robust Loomly API integration in Python. With these tools at your disposal, you're ready to automate your social media management like a pro.

Remember, this is just the beginning. Explore the Loomly API documentation for more endpoints and features to integrate. Happy coding, and may your social media presence be ever-growing!