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

Aug 11, 2024 • 5 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of Sage 50 Accounting API integration? You're in for a treat. This powerful API opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for your Ruby projects, allowing you to tap into robust accounting features and data. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

A Ruby environment (you've got this, right?)
Sage 50 Accounting API credentials (if you don't have these yet, hop over to the Sage Developer Portal)
The following gems: httparty, oauth2, and dotenv

Authentication

First things first, let's get you authenticated:

require 'oauth2'

client = OAuth2::Client.new(ENV['CLIENT_ID'], ENV['CLIENT_SECRET'], site: 'https://oauth.accounting.sage.com')
token = client.client_credentials.get_token

Pro tip: Use the dotenv gem to keep your credentials safe. And don't forget to implement token refresh – your future self will thank you!

Setting up the API Client

Let's create a lean, mean API client:

require 'httparty'

class SageApiClient
  include HTTParty
  base_uri 'https://api.accounting.sage.com/v3.1'

  def initialize(access_token)
    @options = { headers: { 'Authorization' => "Bearer #{access_token}" } }
  end

  def get(path)
    self.class.get(path, @options)
  end

  # Implement post, put, delete methods similarly
end

Implementing Core Functionalities

Now for the fun part – let's put that client to work:

client = SageApiClient.new(token.token)

# Fetch company info
company_info = client.get('/companies')

# Get customers
customers = client.get('/customers')

# Create an invoice
invoice_data = { /* your invoice data */ }
new_invoice = client.post('/invoices', body: invoice_data.to_json)

Error Handling and Logging

Don't let errors catch you off guard:

begin
  result = client.get('/some_endpoint')
rescue => e
  logger.error "API request failed: #{e.message}"
  # Handle the error gracefully
end

Testing the Integration

Test, test, and test again! Here's a quick example using RSpec:

RSpec.describe SageApiClient do
  it "fetches company information" do
    client = SageApiClient.new('fake_token')
    expect(client.get('/companies')).to be_success
  end
end

Best Practices and Optimization

Respect rate limits – nobody likes a bandwidth hog
Cache frequently accessed data to reduce API calls
Consider using background jobs for heavy lifting

Deployment Considerations

When you're ready to ship:

Use environment variables for API credentials
Implement proper error handling and logging in production
Consider using a job queue for long-running or frequent API operations

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now armed with the knowledge to build a solid Sage 50 Accounting API integration in Ruby. Remember, the API documentation is your best friend – don't be shy about diving deeper into the specifics.

Now go forth and code something awesome! 🚀