Step by Step Guide to Building a PDF.co API Integration in Ruby

Introduction

Hey there, fellow Ruby enthusiast! Ready to supercharge your PDF handling capabilities? Let's dive into integrating the PDF.co API into your Ruby project. This powerful API will let you manipulate PDFs like a pro, and I'm here to show you how to do it with style.

Prerequisites

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

• Ruby 2.5 or higher (come on, you're probably already rocking the latest version, right?)
• Your trusty Gemfile
• A PDF.co API key (grab one from their website if you haven't already)

Setting up the project

Let's get this show on the road:

mkdir pdf_master
cd pdf_master
bundle init

Now, crack open that Gemfile and add:

gem 'httparty'
gem 'dotenv'

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

Configuring the PDF.co API client

Time to set up our API client. Create a new file called pdf_client.rb:

require 'httparty'
require 'dotenv/load'

class PDFClient
  include HTTParty
  base_uri 'https://api.pdf.co/v1'

  def initialize
    @options = { headers: { "x-api-key" => ENV['PDF_CO_API_KEY'] } }
  end

  # We'll add more methods here soon!
end

Don't forget to create a .env file in your project root and add your API key:

PDF_CO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Basic API operations

Let's add some magic to our PDFClient class:

def pdf_to_text(file_url)
  self.class.post("/pdf/convert/to/text", @options.merge(
    body: { url: file_url }
  ))
end

def pdf_to_html(file_url)
  self.class.post("/pdf/convert/to/html", @options.merge(
    body: { url: file_url }
  ))
end

def merge_pdfs(file_urls)
  self.class.post("/pdf/merge", @options.merge(
    body: { urls: file_urls }
  ))
end

Now you're cooking with gas! These methods will handle the most common PDF operations.

Advanced API usage

Ready to level up? Let's tackle async operations and webhooks:

def async_convert(file_url, output_format)
  response = self.class.post("/job", @options.merge(
    body: {
      url: file_url,
      async: true,
      webhook: ENV['WEBHOOK_URL'],
      name: "pdf_to_#{output_format}"
    }
  ))
  response['jobId']
end

Remember to set up your WEBHOOK_URL in the .env file. You'll need to implement the webhook endpoint in your app to handle the results.

Error handling and best practices

Always expect the unexpected:

def safe_api_call
  yield
rescue HTTParty::Error => e
  puts "API call failed: #{e.message}"
rescue StandardError => e
  puts "Something went wrong: #{e.message}"
end

Wrap your API calls with this method to catch and handle errors gracefully.

Testing the integration

Don't forget to test! Here's a quick RSpec example:

RSpec.describe PDFClient do
  let(:client) { PDFClient.new }

  it "converts PDF to text" do
    VCR.use_cassette("pdf_to_text") do
      response = client.pdf_to_text("https://example.com/sample.pdf")
      expect(response.code).to eq(200)
      expect(response.body).to include("Sample text")
    end
  end
end

Deployment considerations

When deploying, remember:

• Use environment variables for sensitive info
• Consider using a secrets manager for your API key
• Implement proper rate limiting to stay within API usage limits

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now armed with the knowledge to wield the PDF.co API like a true Ruby ninja. Remember, the API docs are your friend for diving deeper into specific features.

Now go forth and conquer those PDFs! Happy coding! 🚀📄