Step by Step Guide to Building a PandaDoc API Integration in C#

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your document workflows? Let's dive into building a PandaDoc API integration in C#. PandaDoc's API is a powerhouse for automating document processes, and we're about to harness that power in our C# projects. Buckle up!

Prerequisites

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

• Visual Studio or your favorite C# IDE
• .NET Core 3.1 or later
• A PandaDoc account with API access

Don't have an API key yet? No sweat! Head over to the PandaDoc dashboard and grab one. It's quick and painless, I promise.

Setting up the project

Let's get our hands dirty:

1. Fire up Visual Studio and create a new C# project.
2. Time for some NuGet goodness. We'll need:

   Install-Package Newtonsoft.Json
   Install-Package RestSharp
   

These packages will make our lives easier when dealing with JSON and HTTP requests.

Authentication

Alright, let's get that API key working for us:

private const string ApiKey = "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE";
private readonly RestClient _client = new RestClient("https://api.pandadoc.com/public/v1/");

public PandaDocClient()
{
    _client.AddDefaultHeader("Authorization", $"API-Key {ApiKey}");
}

Boom! We've got a base HTTP client ready to rock.

Core API operations

Creating a document

Let's breathe life into a new document:

public async Task<string> CreateDocument(string name, string templateId)
{
    var request = new RestRequest("documents", Method.POST);
    request.AddJsonBody(new
    {
        name,
        template_uuid = templateId
    });

    var response = await _client.ExecuteAsync<dynamic>(request);
    return response.Data.id;
}

Retrieving document details

Curious about your document? Let's fetch its details:

public async Task<dynamic> GetDocumentDetails(string documentId)
{
    var request = new RestRequest($"documents/{documentId}");
    var response = await _client.ExecuteAsync<dynamic>(request);
    return response.Data;
}

Sending a document for signature

Time to get those John Hancocks:

public async Task SendDocument(string documentId, List<string> recipients)
{
    var request = new RestRequest($"documents/{documentId}/send", Method.POST);
    request.AddJsonBody(new
    {
        recipients = recipients.Select(email => new { email }).ToList()
    });

    await _client.ExecuteAsync(request);
}

Checking document status

Let's keep tabs on our document:

public async Task<string> GetDocumentStatus(string documentId)
{
    var details = await GetDocumentDetails(documentId);
    return details.status;
}

Error handling and best practices

Don't let those pesky exceptions catch you off guard:

try
{
    // Your API calls here
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Oops! Something went wrong: {ex.Message}");
}

And remember, PandaDoc has rate limits. Be a good API citizen and implement some throttling if you're making lots of requests.

Testing the integration

Unit tests are your friends. Here's a quick example:

[Fact]
public async Task CreateDocument_ShouldReturnDocumentId()
{
    var client = new PandaDocClient();
    var documentId = await client.CreateDocument("Test Doc", "template_id_here");
    Assert.NotNull(documentId);
}

Advanced features (optional)

Want to level up? Implement webhooks for real-time updates:

[HttpPost("webhook")]
public IActionResult HandleWebhook([FromBody] dynamic payload)
{
    // Process the webhook payload
    return Ok();
}

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid PandaDoc API integration in C#. You're now armed with the power to create, send, and manage documents programmatically. How cool is that?

Remember, this is just scratching the surface. PandaDoc's API has a ton more features to explore. So go forth and automate those document workflows!

Need more info? The PandaDoc API docs are your new best friend.

Happy coding, and may your documents always be signed on time!