Step by Step Guide to Building an OmniFocus API Integration in C#

Aug 15, 2024 • 5 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your productivity with OmniFocus? Let's dive into building a slick C# integration using the OmniFocus API. This guide assumes you're already a coding ninja, so we'll keep things snappy and focus on the good stuff.

Prerequisites

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

Your favorite C# IDE (Visual Studio, Rider, whatever floats your boat)
.NET Core SDK (latest stable version)
An OmniFocus account (duh!)
API key from the OmniFocus team (hit them up if you haven't got one yet)

Setting up the project

Fire up your IDE and create a new C# project. We're going to need a few NuGet packages to make our lives easier:

dotnet add package Newtonsoft.Json
dotnet add package RestSharp
dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration

Authenticating with the OmniFocus API

OmniFocus uses OAuth 2.0, so let's implement that flow:

public async Task<string> GetAccessToken()
{
    // Implement OAuth 2.0 flow here
    // Store the token securely
}

Pro tip: Use a secure storage solution for your tokens. Don't be that dev who commits them to GitHub!

Making API requests

Now for the fun part - let's start talking to OmniFocus:

public async Task<string> GetTasks()
{
    var client = new RestClient("https://api.omnigroup.com/omnifocus/v1");
    var request = new RestRequest("tasks", Method.GET);
    request.AddHeader("Authorization", $"Bearer {accessToken}");
    
    var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);
    return response.Content;
}

Core functionality implementation

Let's implement the CRUD operations:

public async Task<Task> CreateTask(string name, string note)
{
    // Implement task creation
}

public async Task<Task> UpdateTask(string id, string name, string note)
{
    // Implement task update
}

public async Task DeleteTask(string id)
{
    // Implement task deletion
}

Advanced features

Want to level up? Let's work with projects and implement sync:

public async Task<List<Project>> GetProjects()
{
    // Fetch projects
}

public async Task SyncChanges()
{
    // Implement sync logic
}

Optimizing performance

Nobody likes a slow app. Let's cache some data and respect rate limits:

private Dictionary<string, object> cache = new Dictionary<string, object>();

public T GetFromCache<T>(string key) where T : class
{
    // Implement caching logic
}

Testing the integration

Test, test, and test again! Here's a quick unit test to get you started:

[Fact]
public async Task CreateTask_ShouldReturnNewTask()
{
    var result = await _omniFocusService.CreateTask("Test Task", "This is a test");
    Assert.NotNull(result);
    Assert.Equal("Test Task", result.Name);
}

Deployment considerations

When deploying, remember:

Keep those API keys secret and secure
Log everything (you'll thank me later)
Monitor API usage to stay within limits

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a lean, mean OmniFocus integration machine. The possibilities are endless - from automating your workflow to building the next killer productivity app.

Resources

Now go forth and conquer your tasks like the productivity wizard you are! Happy coding! 🚀