Step by Step Guide to Building a SafetyCulture API Integration in JS

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of SafetyCulture API integration? Let's roll up our sleeves and get coding!

Introduction

SafetyCulture's API is a powerful tool that lets you tap into their inspection and safety management ecosystem. Whether you're looking to pull inspection data, update statuses, or generate reports, this guide will have you up and running in no time.

Prerequisites

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

• Node.js and npm installed (you're a pro, so I'm sure you do)
• A SafetyCulture API key (if you don't have one, grab it from your account settings)
• Your favorite code editor ready to rock

Setting up the project

Let's kick things off:

mkdir safety-culture-integration
cd safety-culture-integration
npm init -y
npm install axios dotenv

Authentication

Create a .env file in your project root:

SAFETY_CULTURE_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Now, let's set up our API client:

require('dotenv').config();
const axios = require('axios');

const apiClient = axios.create({
  baseURL: 'https://api.safetyculture.io/audits/v1',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.SAFETY_CULTURE_API_KEY}`,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  }
});

Making API requests

Time to make some requests! Here's a quick example to fetch inspections:

async function getInspections() {
  try {
    const response = await apiClient.get('/audits');
    console.log(response.data);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error fetching inspections:', error.response.data);
  }
}

getInspections();

Implementing key features

Let's implement some core functionality:

async function getInspectionData(inspectionId) {
  const response = await apiClient.get(`/audits/${inspectionId}`);
  return response.data;
}

async function updateInspectionStatus(inspectionId, status) {
  const response = await apiClient.put(`/audits/${inspectionId}`, { status });
  return response.data;
}

async function downloadInspectionReport(inspectionId) {
  const response = await apiClient.get(`/audits/${inspectionId}/report`);
  // Handle the report data (e.g., save to file)
}

Error handling and best practices

Always handle your errors gracefully and respect rate limits:

function handleApiError(error) {
  if (error.response) {
    console.error('API Error:', error.response.status, error.response.data);
    if (error.response.status === 429) {
      // Implement retry logic for rate limiting
    }
  } else {
    console.error('Network Error:', error.message);
  }
}

Testing the integration

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

test('getInspections returns data', async () => {
  const inspections = await getInspections();
  expect(inspections).toBeDefined();
  expect(Array.isArray(inspections)).toBe(true);
});

Deployment considerations

When deploying, remember:

• Use environment variables for your API key
• Never commit your .env file to version control
• Consider using a secrets manager for production environments

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid foundation for your SafetyCulture API integration. Remember, this is just the beginning – there's a whole world of possibilities to explore with the API.

Keep experimenting, stay curious, and happy coding!