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

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of Loomly API integration? You're in for a treat. Loomly's API is a powerful tool that'll let you automate your social media workflow like a boss. In this guide, we'll walk through building a solid integration in Ruby. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

• Ruby 2.7+ installed
• The httparty gem (we'll use this for API requests)
• Your Loomly API credentials (if you don't have these, hop over to your Loomly account and grab 'em)

Setting Up the Project

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

mkdir loomly_integration
cd loomly_integration
bundle init

Now, open up your Gemfile and add:

gem 'httparty'

Run bundle install, and we're good to go!

Authentication

Loomly uses API keys for authentication. It's straightforward:

require 'httparty'

class LoomlyClient
  include HTTParty
  base_uri 'https://api.loomly.com/v1'

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

Making API Requests

Now that we're authenticated, let's make a basic request:

def get_calendars
  self.class.get('/calendars', @options)
end

Easy peasy, right? This method will fetch all your Loomly calendars.

Core API Functionalities

Let's add some more meat to our client:

def get_posts(calendar_id)
  self.class.get("/calendars/#{calendar_id}/posts", @options)
end

def create_post(calendar_id, post_data)
  self.class.post("/calendars/#{calendar_id}/posts", @options.merge(body: post_data))
end

def update_post(calendar_id, post_id, post_data)
  self.class.patch("/calendars/#{calendar_id}/posts/#{post_id}", @options.merge(body: post_data))
end

Error Handling

Loomly's API is pretty good about returning meaningful error messages. Let's add some basic error handling:

def handle_response(response)
  case response.code
  when 200..299
    response
  when 400..499
    raise "Client error: #{response.code} - #{response.message}"
  when 500..599
    raise "Server error: #{response.code} - #{response.message}"
  else
    raise "Unknown error: #{response.code} - #{response.message}"
  end
end

Now, wrap your API calls with this method:

def get_calendars
  handle_response(self.class.get('/calendars', @options))
end

Rate Limiting

Loomly has rate limits, so let's be good citizens and handle them:

def handle_response(response)
  if response.headers['X-RateLimit-Remaining'].to_i == 0
    sleep_time = response.headers['X-RateLimit-Reset'].to_i - Time.now.to_i
    sleep(sleep_time) if sleep_time > 0
  end
  # ... rest of the error handling
end

Pagination

Loomly uses cursor-based pagination. Here's how to handle it:

def get_all_posts(calendar_id)
  posts = []
  cursor = nil
  loop do
    response = get_posts(calendar_id, cursor)
    posts += response['data']
    cursor = response['meta']['next_cursor']
    break if cursor.nil?
  end
  posts
end

def get_posts(calendar_id, cursor = nil)
  options = @options.dup
  options[:query] = { cursor: cursor } if cursor
  handle_response(self.class.get("/calendars/#{calendar_id}/posts", options))
end

Advanced Features

Now that we've got the basics down, let's add some advanced features:

def schedule_post(calendar_id, post_data)
  post_data[:scheduled_at] = (Time.now + 3600).iso8601 # Schedule for 1 hour from now
  create_post(calendar_id, post_data)
end

def upload_asset(calendar_id, file_path)
  file = File.new(file_path)
  options = @options.merge(
    body: {
      file: file
    }
  )
  handle_response(self.class.post("/calendars/#{calendar_id}/assets", options))
end

Testing the Integration

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

require 'rspec'
require_relative 'loomly_client'

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

  it 'fetches calendars successfully' do
    VCR.use_cassette('calendars') do
      response = client.get_calendars
      expect(response.code).to eq(200)
      expect(response.parsed_response).to have_key('data')
    end
  end
end

Best Practices and Optimization

To keep your integration running smoothly:

1. Implement caching for frequently accessed data.
2. Use background jobs for time-consuming operations.
3. Keep your API key secure (use environment variables!).

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a robust Loomly API integration in Ruby. From here, you can expand on this foundation to create even more powerful automations for your social media workflow. Remember, the key to a great integration is understanding the API docs and writing clean, maintainable code.

Now go forth and automate all the things! Happy coding! 🚀