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

Aug 15, 2024 • 5 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow Ruby enthusiast! Ready to add some digital signature magic to your app? Let's dive into integrating the SignRequest API. This nifty tool will let you send, sign, and manage documents with ease. Buckle up, and let's get coding!

Prerequisites

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

Ruby 2.7+ (because we're not living in the stone age)
The httparty gem (our HTTP request wingman)
A SignRequest API key (grab one from your SignRequest dashboard)

Setting up the environment

First things first, let's get our environment ready:

gem install httparty

Now, let's keep our API key safe:

# config/initializers/signrequest.rb
SIGNREQUEST_API_KEY = ENV['SIGNREQUEST_API_KEY']

Basic API Connection

Time to create our SignRequest client:

require 'httparty'

class SignRequestClient
  include HTTParty
  base_uri 'https://signrequest.com/api/v1'
  headers 'Authorization' => "Token #{SIGNREQUEST_API_KEY}"
end

# Test the connection
response = SignRequestClient.get('/documents/')
puts response.code == 200 ? "We're in!" : "Houston, we have a problem."

Core Functionality Implementation

Creating a document

def create_document(file_path)
  response = SignRequestClient.post('/documents/', 
    body: { file: File.new(file_path) },
    multipart: true
  )
  JSON.parse(response.body)
end

Adding signers and sending a signature request

def send_signature_request(document_id, signers)
  body = {
    document: document_id,
    signers: signers.map { |email| { email: email } }
  }
  SignRequestClient.post('/signrequests/', body: body.to_json)
end

Checking signature status

def check_status(signrequest_id)
  SignRequestClient.get("/signrequests/#{signrequest_id}/")
end

Error Handling and Best Practices

Always wrap your API calls in error handling:

begin
  response = SignRequestClient.get('/documents/')
rescue => e
  puts "Oops! #{e.message}"
end

And don't forget about rate limiting. Be a good API citizen!

Advanced Features

Want to level up? Check out these cool features:

Webhooks for real-time updates
Custom email templates for that personal touch
Document templates for frequently used forms

Testing the Integration

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

RSpec.describe SignRequestClient do
  it "successfully creates a document" do
    response = create_document('path/to/test/file.pdf')
    expect(response['id']).not_to be_nil
  end
end

Deployment Considerations

When deploying, remember:

Keep that API key secret and secure
Use environment variables for configuration
Consider caching to optimize performance

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now ready to sign documents like a boss. Remember, the SignRequest API has a ton more features to explore, so don't be shy – dive into their docs and see what else you can do.

Happy coding, and may all your signatures be digital! 🚀✍️