Step by Step Guide to Building a Shopee API Integration in Ruby

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of e-commerce API integration? Today, we're tackling the Shopee API with Ruby. If you're looking to supercharge your e-commerce business or build some killer tools for Shopee sellers, you're in the right place. Let's get our hands dirty!

Prerequisites

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

• A Ruby environment (2.5+ recommended)
• Shopee API credentials (if you don't have these, hop over to Shopee's developer portal)
• Your favorite HTTP client gem (we'll use httparty in this guide)

Got all that? Great! Let's roll.

Authentication

First things first, we need to get authenticated. Shopee uses a combination of API key and signature for auth. Here's how to set it up:

require 'httparty'
require 'openssl'

class ShopeeClient
  BASE_URL = 'https://partner.shopeemobile.com/api/v2'
  
  def initialize(partner_id, partner_key, shop_id)
    @partner_id = partner_id
    @partner_key = partner_key
    @shop_id = shop_id
  end

  def generate_signature(path, timestamp)
    base_string = "#{@partner_id}#{path}#{timestamp}#{@partner_key}#{@shop_id}"
    OpenSSL::HMAC.hexdigest('SHA256', @partner_key, base_string)
  end
end

Basic API Requests

Now that we're authenticated, let's make our first API call:

def get_shop_info
  timestamp = Time.now.to_i
  path = '/shop/get_shop_info'
  signature = generate_signature(path, timestamp)

  response = HTTParty.get(
    "#{BASE_URL}#{path}",
    query: {
      partner_id: @partner_id,
      timestamp: timestamp,
      sign: signature,
      shop_id: @shop_id
    }
  )

  JSON.parse(response.body)
end

Key Shopee API Endpoints

Shopee's API is vast, but here are some endpoints you'll likely use often:

• Products: /product/add_item, /product/get_item_list
• Orders: /order/get_order_list, /order/get_order_detail
• Logistics: /logistics/get_shipping_parameter, /logistics/ship_order

Implement these similarly to our get_shop_info method.

Error Handling and Rate Limiting

Shopee's API has rate limits, so let's add some retry logic:

def make_request(method, path, params = {})
  retries = 0
  begin
    # Your request logic here
  rescue => e
    retries += 1
    if retries < 3
      sleep(2 ** retries)
      retry
    else
      raise e
    end
  end
end

Data Parsing and Storage

Once you've got your data, you'll probably want to store it. Here's a quick example using ActiveRecord:

class Product < ActiveRecord::Base
  def self.create_from_shopee(shopee_product)
    create(
      shopee_id: shopee_product['item_id'],
      name: shopee_product['item_name'],
      price: shopee_product['price']
    )
  end
end

Webhooks Integration

Shopee can send you real-time updates. Set up a webhook endpoint in your app:

post '/shopee_webhook' do
  payload = JSON.parse(request.body.read)
  # Process the webhook payload
  status 200
end

Testing and Debugging

Don't forget to test! Here's a simple RSpec example:

RSpec.describe ShopeeClient do
  it "fetches shop info successfully" do
    client = ShopeeClient.new(partner_id, partner_key, shop_id)
    result = client.get_shop_info
    expect(result).to have_key('shop_name')
  end
end

Best Practices and Optimization

To keep your integration speedy:

1. Cache frequently accessed data
2. Use background jobs for time-consuming operations
3. Implement webhook listeners for real-time updates instead of polling

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now armed with the basics of integrating the Shopee API with Ruby. Remember, this is just the beginning. As you build more complex integrations, you'll discover new challenges and opportunities. Keep exploring, keep coding, and most importantly, have fun with it!

Happy coding, and may your e-commerce ventures be ever prosperous! 🚀💎