Step by Step Guide to Building an Odoo ERP API Integration in C#

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of Odoo ERP API integration? You're in for a treat. Odoo's API is a powerhouse, and combining it with C# is like giving your application superpowers. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

• Visual Studio or your favorite C# IDE
• Odoo ERP instance (obviously!)
• API access credentials (you're a pro, so I'm sure you've got this sorted)

Setting up the C# Project

First things first, let's get our project ready:

1. Fire up Visual Studio and create a new C# project.
2. Install the OdooRPC.CoreCLR NuGet package. It's a lifesaver, trust me.

Install-Package OdooRPC.CoreCLR

Establishing Connection to Odoo API

Alright, let's make some magic happen:

using OdooRPC;
using OdooRPC.CoreCLR;

var odooConnection = new OdooRPCConnection(
    "https://your-odoo-instance.com",
    "your_database",
    "your_username",
    "your_password"
);

var odooClient = await OdooClient.ConnectAsync(odooConnection);

Boom! You're in. Feel that power? That's your C# app talking to Odoo.

Basic CRUD Operations

Reading Data

Let's fetch some data, shall we?

var partners = await odooClient.SearchReadAsync("res.partner", new object[] { new object[] { "customer", "=", true } }, new string[] { "name", "email" });

Creating Records

Time to add some data to Odoo:

var newPartnerId = await odooClient.CreateAsync("res.partner", new Dictionary<string, object>
{
    { "name", "John Doe" },
    { "email", "[email protected]" }
});

Updating Records

Oops, John's email changed. No worries, we've got this:

await odooClient.UpdateAsync("res.partner", newPartnerId, new Dictionary<string, object>
{
    { "email", "[email protected]" }
});

Deleting Records

Sayonara, record:

await odooClient.DeleteAsync("res.partner", newPartnerId);

Advanced API Usage

Complex Queries

Let's get fancy with our searches:

var complexQuery = new object[]
{
    "&",
    new object[] { "customer", "=", true },
    "|",
    new object[] { "country_id", "=", 235 },
    new object[] { "state_id", "in", new int[] { 1, 2, 3 } }
};

var results = await odooClient.SearchReadAsync("res.partner", complexQuery, new string[] { "name", "email" });

Working with Relationships

Odoo's all about relationships. Let's navigate them:

var order = await odooClient.ReadAsync("sale.order", orderId, new string[] { "partner_id", "order_line" });
var partnerId = (int)order["partner_id"][0];
var partner = await odooClient.ReadAsync("res.partner", partnerId, new string[] { "name" });

Error Handling and Best Practices

Always wrap your API calls in try-catch blocks. Odoo can be moody sometimes:

try
{
    var result = await odooClient.SearchReadAsync("res.partner", new object[] { }, new string[] { "name" });
}
catch (OdooRPCException ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Oops! Odoo threw a tantrum: {ex.Message}");
}

Performance Optimization

Cache frequently used data and batch your operations when possible. Your server will thank you:

var partnerIds = new int[] { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 };
var partners = await odooClient.ReadAsync("res.partner", partnerIds, new string[] { "name", "email" });

Testing the Integration

Unit test your API calls. Mock the OdooClient for faster tests. Here's a quick example using NUnit and Moq:

[Test]
public async Task TestGetPartner()
{
    var mockClient = new Mock<IOdooClient>();
    mockClient.Setup(c => c.ReadAsync("res.partner", 1, It.IsAny<string[]>()))
        .ReturnsAsync(new Dictionary<string, object> { { "name", "Test Partner" } });

    var partnerService = new PartnerService(mockClient.Object);
    var partner = await partnerService.GetPartnerAsync(1);

    Assert.AreEqual("Test Partner", partner.Name);
}

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now armed and dangerous with Odoo API integration skills. Remember, the Odoo API is vast and powerful. We've just scratched the surface here, but you've got the tools to explore further.

Keep experimenting, keep coding, and most importantly, keep having fun with it. The Odoo community is awesome, so don't hesitate to reach out if you get stuck.

Now go forth and build some amazing integrations! 🚀