Step by Step Guide to Building a Process Street API Integration in C#

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your workflow management with Process Street's API? In this guide, we'll walk through building a robust C# integration that'll have you automating processes like a pro. Let's dive in!

Prerequisites

Before we start coding, make sure you've got:

• Visual Studio or your favorite C# IDE
• .NET Core 3.1 or later
• A Process Street account with API access
• Your API key (keep it secret, keep it safe!)

Setting up the project

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

1. Fire up Visual Studio and create a new C# Console Application.
2. Install the following NuGet packages:

   Install-Package Newtonsoft.Json
   Install-Package RestSharp
   

Authentication

Now, let's set up our HTTP client with the API key:

using RestSharp;
using RestSharp.Authenticators;

var client = new RestClient("https://api.process.st/api/v1");
client.Authenticator = new JwtAuthenticator("YOUR_API_KEY_HERE");

Basic API Operations

Let's cover the CRUD operations. Here's how to fetch workflows:

var request = new RestRequest("workflows", Method.GET);
var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);

if (response.IsSuccessful)
{
    // Handle the response
}

Creating, updating, and deleting follow a similar pattern. Just change the method and endpoint as needed.

Handling Responses

Deserializing JSON is a breeze with Newtonsoft.Json:

var workflows = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Workflow>>(response.Content);

Don't forget to handle those pesky errors:

if (!response.IsSuccessful)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Error: {response.ErrorMessage}");
}

Advanced Features

Want to step up your game? Let's talk pagination:

var request = new RestRequest("workflows", Method.GET);
request.AddParameter("page", 1);
request.AddParameter("limit", 100);

Filtering and sorting work similarly. Just add the appropriate parameters to your request.

Best Practices

Remember to:

• Respect rate limits (nobody likes a bandwidth hog)
• Implement caching for frequently accessed data
• Use async operations to keep your app responsive

Testing

Unit testing is your friend. Mock those API responses:

var mockClient = new Mock<IRestClient>();
mockClient.Setup(x => x.ExecuteAsync(It.IsAny<RestRequest>()))
    .ReturnsAsync(new RestResponse { Content = "mocked response" });

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now equipped to build a killer Process Street API integration in C#. Remember, the API documentation is your best friend for specific endpoints and parameters.

Happy coding, and may your workflows be ever efficient!