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

Introduction

Hey there, fellow code wrangler! Ready to dive into the world of email marketing automation? Today, we're going to build a slick SendFox API integration using C#. SendFox, if you haven't heard, is a nifty tool for managing your email lists and campaigns. By the end of this guide, you'll be able to programmatically manage contacts and send campaigns like a pro.

Prerequisites

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

• Visual Studio or your favorite C# IDE
• .NET Core 3.1 or later
• A SendFox account and API key (grab one from your account settings)

Got all that? Great! Let's get our hands dirty.

Setting up the project

Fire up Visual Studio and create a new C# console application. We'll keep it simple for now, but feel free to adapt this to your preferred project type.

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

Install-Package Newtonsoft.Json
Install-Package RestSharp

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

Implementing the SendFox API client

Let's start with a basic API client class:

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

    public SendFoxClient(string apiKey)
    {
        _apiKey = apiKey;
        _client = new RestClient("https://api.sendfox.com/");
    }

    // We'll add methods here soon!
}

Core API operations

Now, let's add some methods to interact with the API:

public async Task<List<Contact>> ListContacts()
{
    var request = new RestRequest("contacts", Method.GET);
    request.AddHeader("Authorization", $"Bearer {_apiKey}");
    var response = await _client.ExecuteAsync<List<Contact>>(request);
    return response.Data;
}

public async Task<Contact> AddContact(string email, string firstName = null, string lastName = null)
{
    var request = new RestRequest("contacts", Method.POST);
    request.AddHeader("Authorization", $"Bearer {_apiKey}");
    request.AddJsonBody(new { email, first_name = firstName, last_name = lastName });
    var response = await _client.ExecuteAsync<Contact>(request);
    return response.Data;
}

// Add more methods for campaigns, etc.

Error handling and rate limiting

Let's add some retry logic and respect those rate limits:

private async Task<IRestResponse<T>> ExecuteWithRetry<T>(RestRequest request, int maxAttempts = 3)
{
    for (int i = 0; i < maxAttempts; i++)
    {
        var response = await _client.ExecuteAsync<T>(request);
        if (response.StatusCode == HttpStatusCode.TooManyRequests)
        {
            await Task.Delay(1000 * (i + 1)); // Exponential backoff
            continue;
        }
        return response;
    }
    throw new Exception("Max retry attempts reached");
}

Asynchronous operations

As you've noticed, we're using async/await throughout. This ensures our API calls don't block the main thread. Good practice!

Testing the integration

Here's a quick example of how you might test this in your Main method:

static async Task Main(string[] args)
{
    var client = new SendFoxClient("your-api-key-here");
    var contacts = await client.ListContacts();
    Console.WriteLine($"You have {contacts.Count} contacts");

    var newContact = await client.AddContact("[email protected]", "John", "Doe");
    Console.WriteLine($"Added new contact: {newContact.Email}");
}

Best practices and optimization

To optimize your integration:

1. Cache results where appropriate to reduce API calls
2. Use batch operations when available (e.g., adding multiple contacts at once)
3. Implement proper error handling and logging

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid foundation for a SendFox API integration in C#. From here, you can expand on this to create more complex operations, integrate with your existing systems, or build a full-fledged email marketing tool.

Remember, the SendFox API documentation is your friend. Don't hesitate to explore and experiment with different endpoints and features.

Now go forth and conquer those email lists! Happy coding!