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

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of Ontraport API integration? You're in for a treat. We'll be building a robust C# integration that'll have you managing contacts, tags, and forms like a pro. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

• Your favorite C# development environment (Visual Studio, Rider, whatever floats your boat)
• Ontraport API credentials (if you don't have 'em, go grab 'em!)
• A can-do attitude (okay, that's not strictly necessary, but it helps!)

Setting up the project

First things first, let's get our project off the ground:

1. Fire up your IDE and create a new C# project.
2. Install the following NuGet packages:

   Install-Package Newtonsoft.Json
   Install-Package RestSharp
   

Authentication

Alright, time to get cozy with Ontraport:

1. Grab your API credentials from your Ontraport account.
2. Create a class to handle authentication:

public class OntraportClient
{
    private readonly string _apiKey;
    private readonly string _siteId;

    public OntraportClient(string apiKey, string siteId)
    {
        _apiKey = apiKey;
        _siteId = siteId;
    }

    // We'll add more methods here soon!
}

Making API requests

Let's beef up our OntraportClient class to handle those API calls:

private RestClient _client;

public OntraportClient(string apiKey, string siteId)
{
    _apiKey = apiKey;
    _siteId = siteId;
    _client = new RestClient("https://api.ontraport.com/1/");
    _client.AddDefaultHeader("Api-Key", _apiKey);
    _client.AddDefaultHeader("Api-Appid", _siteId);
}

private async Task<T> ExecuteRequest<T>(RestRequest request)
{
    var response = await _client.ExecuteAsync<T>(request);
    if (!response.IsSuccessful)
    {
        throw new Exception($"API request failed: {response.ErrorMessage}");
    }
    return response.Data;
}

Implementing core Ontraport API functionalities

Contacts

Let's start with the bread and butter - managing contacts:

public async Task<Contact> GetContact(int id)
{
    var request = new RestRequest("Contacts", Method.GET);
    request.AddParameter("id", id);
    return await ExecuteRequest<Contact>(request);
}

public async Task<Contact> CreateContact(Contact contact)
{
    var request = new RestRequest("Contacts", Method.POST);
    request.AddJsonBody(contact);
    return await ExecuteRequest<Contact>(request);
}

public async Task<Contact> UpdateContact(Contact contact)
{
    var request = new RestRequest("Contacts", Method.PUT);
    request.AddJsonBody(contact);
    return await ExecuteRequest<Contact>(request);
}

Tags

Now, let's tackle tags:

public async Task AddTagToContact(int contactId, int tagId)
{
    var request = new RestRequest("Contacts/Tag", Method.PUT);
    request.AddJsonBody(new { ids = contactId, add_list = tagId });
    await ExecuteRequest<object>(request);
}

public async Task RemoveTagFromContact(int contactId, int tagId)
{
    var request = new RestRequest("Contacts/Tag", Method.DELETE);
    request.AddJsonBody(new { ids = contactId, remove_list = tagId });
    await ExecuteRequest<object>(request);
}

Forms

And finally, let's handle those forms:

public async Task<Form> GetForm(int id)
{
    var request = new RestRequest("Forms", Method.GET);
    request.AddParameter("id", id);
    return await ExecuteRequest<Form>(request);
}

public async Task<FormSubmission> SubmitForm(int formId, Dictionary<string, string> data)
{
    var request = new RestRequest("Forms/submit", Method.POST);
    request.AddParameter("id", formId);
    foreach (var kvp in data)
    {
        request.AddParameter(kvp.Key, kvp.Value);
    }
    return await ExecuteRequest<FormSubmission>(request);
}

Error handling and rate limiting

Let's add some resilience to our integration:

private async Task<T> ExecuteRequestWithRetry<T>(RestRequest request, int maxRetries = 3)
{
    for (int i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++)
    {
        try
        {
            return await ExecuteRequest<T>(request);
        }
        catch (Exception ex) when (ex.Message.Contains("429"))
        {
            if (i == maxRetries - 1) throw;
            await Task.Delay(1000 * (i + 1));
        }
    }
    throw new Exception("Max retries exceeded");
}

Testing the integration

Now's the time to put our creation through its paces:

[TestMethod]
public async Task TestCreateAndUpdateContact()
{
    var client = new OntraportClient("your-api-key", "your-site-id");
    
    var newContact = await client.CreateContact(new Contact { FirstName = "John", LastName = "Doe" });
    Assert.IsNotNull(newContact.Id);

    newContact.FirstName = "Jane";
    var updatedContact = await client.UpdateContact(newContact);
    Assert.AreEqual("Jane", updatedContact.FirstName);
}

Best practices and optimization

To really make your integration sing:

1. Implement caching for frequently accessed data.
2. Use asynchronous operations throughout to keep your app responsive.
3. Batch operations when possible to reduce API calls.

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid Ontraport API integration in C#. You're now equipped to manage contacts, tags, and forms with ease. Remember, this is just the beginning - there's a whole world of Ontraport API features out there waiting for you to explore.

Keep coding, keep learning, and most importantly, keep having fun! If you need more info, the Ontraport API docs are your new best friend. Happy integrating!