Step by Step Guide to Building a ShipStation API Integration in PHP

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of ShipStation API integration? We're going to use the awesome kield01/shipstation-php-sdk package to make our lives easier. Buckle up, because we're about to streamline your shipping process like never before!

Prerequisites

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

• A PHP environment (you're a pro, so I'm sure you've got this covered)
• Composer installed (because who doesn't love dependency management?)
• ShipStation API credentials (if you don't have these yet, hop over to your ShipStation account and grab them)

Installation

Let's kick things off by installing our trusty SDK. Fire up your terminal and run:

composer require kield01/shipstation-php-sdk

Easy peasy, right?

Configuration

Now, let's get those API credentials working for us:

use Kield01\ShipStation\ShipStationApi;

$apiKey = 'your_api_key';
$apiSecret = 'your_api_secret';

$shipstation = new ShipStationApi($apiKey, $apiSecret);

Just like that, we're ready to rock and roll with ShipStation!

Basic Operations

Retrieving Orders

Want to fetch some orders? It's as simple as:

$orders = $shipstation->orders->getOrders(['orderStatus' => 'awaiting_shipment']);

Creating Shipments

Time to create a shipment:

$shipment = $shipstation->shipments->createShipment([
    'orderId' => 123456,
    'carrierCode' => 'fedex',
    'serviceCode' => 'fedex_2day',
    // ... other shipment details
]);

Generating Labels

Labels are just a line of code away:

$label = $shipstation->shipments->createLabelForShipment($shipmentId);

Advanced Usage

Webhook Integration

ShipStation's got your back with webhooks. Here's a quick setup:

$webhook = $shipstation->webhooks->subscribeToWebhook('ORDER_NOTIFY', 'https://your-webhook-url.com');

Custom Field Mapping

Need to map some custom fields? We've got you covered:

$customField = $shipstation->customFields->createCustomField([
    'name' => 'Special Instructions',
    'type' => 'text'
]);

Error Handling

Always be prepared! Wrap your API calls in try-catch blocks:

try {
    $orders = $shipstation->orders->getOrders();
} catch (\Exception $e) {
    // Handle the error like a boss
    error_log($e->getMessage());
}

Best Practices

• Rate Limiting: ShipStation's got limits, so play nice and implement some rate limiting in your code.
• Caching: Cache frequently accessed data to keep things speedy.
• Security: Keep those API credentials secret. Use environment variables, not hard-coded values!

Testing

Unit testing is your friend. Mock those API responses:

use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
use GuzzleHttp\Client;
use GuzzleHttp\Handler\MockHandler;
use GuzzleHttp\Psr7\Response;

class ShipStationTest extends TestCase
{
    public function testGetOrders()
    {
        $mock = new MockHandler([
            new Response(200, [], json_encode(['orders' => [/* mock data */]]))
        ]);
        $client = new Client(['handler' => $mock]);
        
        $shipstation = new ShipStationApi('fake_key', 'fake_secret', ['client' => $client]);
        $orders = $shipstation->orders->getOrders();
        
        $this->assertNotEmpty($orders);
    }
}

Deployment

When you're ready to go live, remember:

• Use production API credentials (duh, but worth mentioning)
• Implement proper logging for troubleshooting
• Set up monitoring to keep an eye on your integration's health

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now equipped to build a robust ShipStation integration. Remember, the kield01/shipstation-php-sdk package is your new best friend, so don't be afraid to dive into its documentation for even more features.

Happy shipping, and may your packages always arrive on time! 📦🚚💨