Reading and Writing Data Using the SamCart API

Hey there, fellow JavaScript wizards! Ready to dive into the world of SamCart API integration? Let's get our hands dirty with some data syncing magic for user-facing integrations. Buckle up!

The SamCart API: Your New Best Friend

SamCart's API is a powerful tool that lets you seamlessly integrate their e-commerce platform with your own applications. When it comes to user-facing integrations, keeping data in sync is crucial. Trust me, your users will thank you for it!

Authentication: Getting Past the Bouncer

First things first, let's get you authenticated. You'll need to grab your API credentials from your SamCart dashboard. Once you've got those, here's how you can implement the OAuth 2.0 flow:

const getAccessToken = async (clientId, clientSecret) => {
  const response = await fetch('https://api.samcart.com/oauth/token', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
    },
    body: new URLSearchParams({
      grant_type: 'client_credentials',
      client_id: clientId,
      client_secret: clientSecret,
    }),
  });
  
  const data = await response.json();
  return data.access_token;
};

Reading Data: Time to Snoop Around

Now that we're in, let's fetch some data. Here's how you can grab customer information:

const getCustomer = async (customerId, accessToken) => {
  const response = await fetch(`https://api.samcart.com/v1/customers/${customerId}`, {
    headers: {
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${accessToken}`,
    },
  });
  
  return response.json();
};

Writing Data: Leave Your Mark

Writing data is just as easy. Let's update an order:

const updateOrder = async (orderId, updateData, accessToken) => {
  const response = await fetch(`https://api.samcart.com/v1/orders/${orderId}`, {
    method: 'PATCH',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${accessToken}`,
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    },
    body: JSON.stringify(updateData),
  });
  
  if (!response.ok) {
    throw new Error('Failed to update order');
  }
  
  return response.json();
};

Syncing Data: Stay in the Loop

Webhooks are your best friend for real-time updates. Here's a quick example of how to handle them:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.post('/webhook', express.json(), (req, res) => {
  const event = req.body;
  
  switch (event.type) {
    case 'order.created':
      // Handle new order
      break;
    case 'customer.updated':
      // Handle customer update
      break;
    // Add more cases as needed
  }
  
  res.sendStatus(200);
});

Error Handling and Rate Limiting: Play Nice

Always handle your errors gracefully and respect those rate limits. Here's a simple retry mechanism:

const fetchWithRetry = async (url, options, maxRetries = 3) => {
  for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
    try {
      const response = await fetch(url, options);
      if (response.status === 429) {
        // Rate limited, wait before retrying
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000 * (i + 1)));
        continue;
      }
      return response;
    } catch (error) {
      if (i === maxRetries - 1) throw error;
    }
  }
};

Optimizing Performance: Speed Demon

Caching is your friend. Here's a simple in-memory cache:

const cache = new Map();

const getCachedData = async (key, fetchFunction, ttl = 60000) => {
  if (cache.has(key) && cache.get(key).expiry > Date.now()) {
    return cache.get(key).data;
  }
  
  const data = await fetchFunction();
  cache.set(key, { data, expiry: Date.now() + ttl });
  return data;
};

Security Considerations: Lock It Down

Always use HTTPS and keep those API keys secret! Here's how you can validate webhook signatures:

const crypto = require('crypto');

const validateWebhookSignature = (payload, signature, secret) => {
  const hmac = crypto.createHmac('sha256', secret);
  const digest = hmac.update(payload).digest('hex');
  return crypto.timingSafeEqual(Buffer.from(signature), Buffer.from(digest));
};

Testing and Debugging: Squash Those Bugs

Use SamCart's sandbox environment for testing, and don't forget to mock API responses in your unit tests:

jest.mock('node-fetch');

test('getCustomer fetches customer data', async () => {
  const mockCustomer = { id: '123', name: 'John Doe' };
  fetch.mockResolvedValueOnce({
    json: jest.fn().mockResolvedValueOnce(mockCustomer),
  });
  
  const customer = await getCustomer('123', 'fake_token');
  expect(customer).toEqual(mockCustomer);
});

Wrapping Up

And there you have it, folks! You're now armed with the knowledge to build a robust SamCart API integration. Remember to keep your code clean, your errors handled, and your data synced. Happy coding!

For more details, check out the SamCart API documentation. Now go forth and integrate!