Step by Step Guide to Building a Salesmsg API Integration in C#

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your C# application with Salesmsg's powerful messaging capabilities? You're in the right place. In this guide, we'll walk through building a robust Salesmsg API integration that'll have you sending and receiving messages like a pro in no time.

Prerequisites

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

• Visual Studio or your favorite C# IDE
• .NET Core 3.1 or later
• Salesmsg API credentials (if you don't have these yet, hop over to the Salesmsg website and sign up)

Setting up the project

Let's kick things off by creating a new C# project. Fire up Visual Studio, create a new Console Application, and name it something cool like "SalesmsgIntegration".

Now, let's grab the packages we need. Open up the Package Manager Console and run:

Install-Package RestSharp
Install-Package Newtonsoft.Json

These will handle our HTTP requests and JSON parsing, respectively.

Authentication

Salesmsg uses API key authentication, which is pretty straightforward. Let's create a class to handle this:

public class SalesmsgClient
{
    private readonly string _apiKey;
    private readonly RestClient _client;

    public SalesmsgClient(string apiKey)
    {
        _apiKey = apiKey;
        _client = new RestClient("https://api.salesmsg.com/v1/");
        _client.AddDefaultHeader("Authorization", $"Bearer {_apiKey}");
    }

    // We'll add more methods here soon!
}

Making API requests

Now that we've got authentication sorted, let's create a method to make API requests:

private async Task<T> ExecuteAsync<T>(RestRequest request)
{
    var response = await _client.ExecuteAsync<T>(request);
    if (!response.IsSuccessful)
    {
        throw new Exception($"API request failed: {response.ErrorMessage}");
    }
    return response.Data;
}

Implementing core Salesmsg features

Let's implement some key features, starting with sending a message:

public async Task<Message> SendMessageAsync(string to, string body)
{
    var request = new RestRequest("messages", Method.POST);
    request.AddJsonBody(new { to, body });
    return await ExecuteAsync<Message>(request);
}

For receiving messages, you'll need to set up a webhook endpoint in your application. Here's a basic example using ASP.NET Core:

[ApiController]
[Route("api/[controller]")]
public class WebhookController : ControllerBase
{
    [HttpPost]
    public IActionResult ReceiveWebhook([FromBody] WebhookPayload payload)
    {
        // Process the webhook payload
        return Ok();
    }
}

Error handling and logging

Always wrap your API calls in try-catch blocks and log any errors:

try
{
    var message = await client.SendMessageAsync("+1234567890", "Hello, Salesmsg!");
    Console.WriteLine($"Message sent with ID: {message.Id}");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Error sending message: {ex.Message}");
    // Log the error
}

Testing the integration

Don't forget to test your integration! Here's a quick unit test example using xUnit:

[Fact]
public async Task SendMessage_ValidInput_ReturnsMessageId()
{
    var client = new SalesmsgClient("your-api-key");
    var message = await client.SendMessageAsync("+1234567890", "Test message");
    Assert.NotNull(message.Id);
}

Best practices and optimization

Remember to respect Salesmsg's rate limits and implement caching where appropriate. For example, you might cache contact information to reduce API calls.

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid Salesmsg API integration in C#. You're now ready to send messages, handle webhooks, and take your messaging game to the next level.

Remember, this is just the beginning. There's a whole world of Salesmsg API features to explore. So go forth, code bravely, and may your messages always reach their destination!

Happy coding!