Step by Step Guide to Building a Sage 50 Accounting API Integration in Python

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of Sage 50 Accounting API integration? You're in for a treat. This guide will walk you through creating a robust Python integration that'll have you pulling financial data like a pro. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

• A Python environment (3.7+ recommended)
• Sage 50 Accounting API credentials (if you don't have these, hit up the Sage developer portal)
• Your favorite Python package manager (pip, poetry, whatever floats your boat)

Install these libraries:

pip install requests python-dotenv

Authentication

First things first, let's get you authenticated:

import requests
from dotenv import load_dotenv
import os

load_dotenv()

def get_access_token():
    url = "https://api.sage.com/oauth2/token"
    data = {
        "grant_type": "client_credentials",
        "client_id": os.getenv("SAGE_CLIENT_ID"),
        "client_secret": os.getenv("SAGE_CLIENT_SECRET")
    }
    response = requests.post(url, data=data)
    return response.json()["access_token"]

access_token = get_access_token()

Pro tip: Store your credentials in a .env file. Your future self will thank you.

Basic API Requests

Let's set up a base request function to keep things DRY:

def make_request(endpoint, method="GET", data=None):
    base_url = "https://api.sage.com/v3.1"
    headers = {
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {access_token}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json"
    }
    url = f"{base_url}/{endpoint}"
    response = requests.request(method, url, headers=headers, json=data)
    response.raise_for_status()
    return response.json()

Core Functionalities

Now for the fun part. Let's fetch some data:

# Get company info
company_info = make_request("companies")

# Fetch customers
customers = make_request("customers")

# Create an invoice
new_invoice = make_request("invoices", method="POST", data={
    "customer_id": "CUST001",
    "date": "2023-06-01",
    "due_date": "2023-06-15",
    "line_items": [
        {
            "description": "Web Development",
            "quantity": 1,
            "unit_price": 1000
        }
    ]
})

Error Handling and Logging

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

import logging

logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)

def safe_request(endpoint, method="GET", data=None):
    try:
        return make_request(endpoint, method, data)
    except requests.RequestException as e:
        logging.error(f"API request failed: {e}")
        return None

Data Processing and Storage

Parse those responses and store 'em if you need to:

import sqlite3

def store_customers(customers):
    conn = sqlite3.connect('sage50_data.db')
    c = conn.cursor()
    c.execute('''CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS customers
                 (id TEXT PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT, email TEXT)''')
    for customer in customers:
        c.execute("INSERT OR REPLACE INTO customers VALUES (?, ?, ?)",
                  (customer['id'], customer['name'], customer['email']))
    conn.commit()
    conn.close()

customers = safe_request("customers")
if customers:
    store_customers(customers)

Building a Simple CLI Interface

Let's wrap this up in a neat little CLI package:

import argparse

def main():
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Sage 50 API Integration")
    parser.add_argument("action", choices=["get_customers", "create_invoice"])
    args = parser.parse_args()

    if args.action == "get_customers":
        customers = safe_request("customers")
        print(customers)
    elif args.action == "create_invoice":
        # You'd probably want to add more arguments for invoice details
        new_invoice = safe_request("invoices", method="POST", data={...})
        print(new_invoice)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

Testing and Validation

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

import unittest

class TestSageIntegration(unittest.TestCase):
    def test_get_customers(self):
        customers = safe_request("customers")
        self.assertIsNotNone(customers)
        self.assertIsInstance(customers, list)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    unittest.main()

Best Practices and Optimization

Remember to:

• Implement rate limiting to avoid hitting API limits
• Cache responses when appropriate
• Keep your access token secure and refresh it as needed

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a Sage 50 Accounting API integration in Python. Pretty cool, right? Remember, this is just scratching the surface. The Sage 50 API has a ton more endpoints and features to explore.

Keep coding, keep learning, and most importantly, have fun with it! If you need more info, the Sage developer docs are your new best friend. Happy integrating!