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

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of Teamleader API integration? You're in for a treat. We'll be building a robust integration that'll have you managing contacts, deals, and tasks like a pro. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

• Ruby 2.7+ installed
• The httparty and dotenv gems
• Your Teamleader API credentials (if you don't have these, hop over to the Teamleader developer portal and grab 'em)

Setting up the project

First things first, let's get our project set up:

mkdir teamleader_integration
cd teamleader_integration
bundle init

Now, add these gems to your Gemfile:

gem 'httparty'
gem 'dotenv'

Run bundle install, and you're good to go!

Authentication

Teamleader uses OAuth 2.0, so let's handle that:

require 'httparty'
require 'dotenv/load'

class TeamleaderAPI
  include HTTParty
  base_uri 'https://api.teamleader.eu'

  def initialize
    @access_token = get_access_token
  end

  def get_access_token
    # Implement OAuth flow here
    # For brevity, we'll assume you've stored the token in an env variable
    ENV['TEAMLEADER_ACCESS_TOKEN']
  end
end

Pro tip: Implement token refresh to keep your integration running smoothly!

Making API requests

Now for the fun part - let's make some API calls:

def get_contacts
  self.class.get('/contacts.list', headers: auth_header)
end

def create_deal(deal_data)
  self.class.post('/deals.create', 
    body: deal_data.to_json, 
    headers: auth_header.merge({'Content-Type' => 'application/json'})
  )
end

private

def auth_header
  {'Authorization' => "Bearer #{@access_token}"}
end

Remember to handle those pesky errors - the API might throw you a curveball!

Implementing key Teamleader features

Let's put our methods to work:

api = TeamleaderAPI.new

# Fetch contacts
contacts = api.get_contacts
puts contacts

# Create a new deal
new_deal = api.create_deal({
  title: 'Big Important Deal',
  contact_id: 'abc123',
  estimated_value: 10000
})
puts new_deal

Pagination and rate limiting

Teamleader uses cursor-based pagination. Here's how to handle it:

def get_all_contacts
  contacts = []
  cursor = nil

  loop do
    response = get_contacts(cursor)
    contacts += response['data']
    cursor = response['meta']['cursor']['next']
    break unless cursor
    sleep 1 # Be nice to the API!
  end

  contacts
end

Testing the integration

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

RSpec.describe TeamleaderAPI do
  it 'fetches contacts' do
    api = TeamleaderAPI.new
    contacts = api.get_contacts
    expect(contacts).to be_an(Array)
    expect(contacts.first).to have_key('id')
  end
end

Best practices and optimization

• Cache frequently accessed data to reduce API calls
• Use background jobs for heavy operations
• Log API responses for debugging

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid Teamleader API integration in Ruby. Remember, this is just the beginning - there's a whole world of Teamleader features to explore. Keep experimenting, and happy coding!