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

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of e-commerce integration? Today, we're tackling the Shopee API with C#. This powerhouse combo will let you tap into Shopee's vast marketplace, giving your applications some serious e-commerce muscle. Whether you're looking to manage products, process orders, or keep tabs on inventory, we've got you covered. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

• Visual Studio or your favorite C# IDE
• .NET Core SDK (latest stable version)
• Newtonsoft.Json NuGet package
• Shopee API credentials (Partner ID and API key)

Got all that? Great! Let's move on to the fun stuff.

Setting up the project

First things first, let's get our project off the ground:

1. Fire up Visual Studio and create a new C# Console Application.
2. Install the Newtonsoft.Json package via NuGet. You'll thank me later when we're parsing JSON like pros.

Install-Package Newtonsoft.Json

Authentication

Alright, security first! Shopee's API uses a signature-based authentication. Here's how to get that sorted:

using System;
using System.Security.Cryptography;
using System.Text;

public class ShopeeAuth
{
    private readonly string _partnerId;
    private readonly string _apiKey;

    public ShopeeAuth(string partnerId, string apiKey)
    {
        _partnerId = partnerId;
        _apiKey = apiKey;
    }

    public string GenerateSignature(string endpoint, long timestamp)
    {
        var baseString = $"{_partnerId}{endpoint}{timestamp}";
        using (var hmac = new HMACSHA256(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(_apiKey)))
        {
            var hash = hmac.ComputeHash(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(baseString));
            return BitConverter.ToString(hash).Replace("-", "").ToLower();
        }
    }
}

Making API requests

Now that we're authenticated, let's start making some requests:

using System.Net.Http;
using Newtonsoft.Json.Linq;

public class ShopeeClient
{
    private readonly HttpClient _httpClient;
    private readonly ShopeeAuth _auth;
    private const string BaseUrl = "https://partner.shopeemobile.com/api/v2";

    public ShopeeClient(ShopeeAuth auth)
    {
        _httpClient = new HttpClient();
        _auth = auth;
    }

    public async Task<JObject> GetAsync(string endpoint)
    {
        var timestamp = DateTimeOffset.Now.ToUnixTimeSeconds();
        var signature = _auth.GenerateSignature(endpoint, timestamp);

        var url = $"{BaseUrl}{endpoint}?partner_id={_auth.PartnerId}&timestamp={timestamp}&sign={signature}";

        var response = await _httpClient.GetAsync(url);
        response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();

        var content = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
        return JObject.Parse(content);
    }
}

Implementing key Shopee API features

Let's put our client to work with some key Shopee features:

public class ShopeeOperations
{
    private readonly ShopeeClient _client;

    public ShopeeOperations(ShopeeClient client)
    {
        _client = client;
    }

    public async Task<JObject> GetProductList()
    {
        return await _client.GetAsync("/product/get_item_list");
    }

    public async Task<JObject> GetOrderList()
    {
        return await _client.GetAsync("/order/get_order_list");
    }

    public async Task<JObject> GetInventory()
    {
        return await _client.GetAsync("/product/get_model_list");
    }
}

Error handling and rate limiting

Don't forget to handle those pesky errors and respect Shopee's rate limits:

public async Task<JObject> GetWithRetry(string endpoint, int maxRetries = 3)
{
    for (int i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++)
    {
        try
        {
            return await GetAsync(endpoint);
        }
        catch (HttpRequestException ex) when (ex.Message.Contains("429"))
        {
            if (i == maxRetries - 1) throw;
            await Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(Math.Pow(2, i)));
        }
    }
    throw new Exception("Max retries reached");
}

Testing and debugging

Always test your code! Here's a quick unit test to get you started:

[TestMethod]
public async Task TestGetProductList()
{
    var auth = new ShopeeAuth("your_partner_id", "your_api_key");
    var client = new ShopeeClient(auth);
    var operations = new ShopeeOperations(client);

    var result = await operations.GetProductList();
    Assert.IsNotNull(result["items"]);
}

Best practices and optimization

To keep your integration running smoothly:

1. Implement caching for frequently accessed data.
2. Use asynchronous operations to improve performance.
3. Batch API calls where possible to reduce network overhead.

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a robust Shopee API integration in C#. Remember, this is just the beginning. The Shopee API has tons more features to explore, so don't be afraid to dive deeper.

Keep coding, keep learning, and most importantly, have fun with it! If you hit any snags, the Shopee API documentation is your best friend. Happy integrating!