Step by Step Guide to Building a Thinkific API Integration in Go

Introduction

Hey there, fellow Go enthusiast! Ready to dive into the world of Thinkific API integration? You're in for a treat. Thinkific's API is a powerful tool that lets you tap into their e-learning platform, and we're going to harness that power using our beloved Go. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

• Go installed (I know you probably do, but just checking!)
• A Thinkific account with API credentials (if you don't have these, hop over to your Thinkific dashboard and grab 'em)

Setting up the project

Let's kick things off:

mkdir thinkific-api-integration
cd thinkific-api-integration
go mod init thinkific-integration

Now, let's grab the HTTP client we'll be using:

go get -u github.com/go-resty/resty/v2

Authentication

Thinkific uses API keys for authentication. Here's how we'll set that up:

package main

import (
    "github.com/go-resty/resty/v2"
)

const (
    baseURL = "https://api.thinkific.com/api/public/v1"
    apiKey  = "your-api-key-here"
)

func main() {
    client := resty.New()
    client.SetHeader("X-Auth-API-Key", apiKey)
    client.SetHeader("Content-Type", "application/json")
    client.SetBaseURL(baseURL)

    // We'll use this client for all our requests
}

Making API requests

Now that we're all set up, let's make a basic request:

resp, err := client.R().
    SetResult(&YourStructHere{}).
    Get("/courses")

if err != nil {
    // Handle error
}

// Process resp.Result().(*YourStructHere)

Implementing key Thinkific API endpoints

Let's implement a few key endpoints:

Courses

type Course struct {
    ID    int    `json:"id"`
    Name  string `json:"name"`
    Price float64 `json:"price"`
}

func getCourses() ([]Course, error) {
    var courses []Course
    _, err := client.R().
        SetResult(&courses).
        Get("/courses")
    return courses, err
}

Users

type User struct {
    ID    int    `json:"id"`
    Email string `json:"email"`
    Name  string `json:"name"`
}

func createUser(user User) (User, error) {
    var createdUser User
    _, err := client.R().
        SetBody(user).
        SetResult(&createdUser).
        Post("/users")
    return createdUser, err
}

Error handling and rate limiting

Thinkific has rate limits, so let's be good citizens:

import "time"

func makeRequest(method, endpoint string, body interface{}) (*resty.Response, error) {
    resp, err := client.R().
        SetBody(body).
        Execute(method, endpoint)

    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }

    if resp.StatusCode() == 429 {
        // Rate limited, wait and retry
        time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
        return makeRequest(method, endpoint, body)
    }

    return resp, nil
}

Testing the integration

Here's a quick test to get you started:

func TestGetCourses(t *testing.T) {
    courses, err := getCourses()
    if err != nil {
        t.Fatalf("Error getting courses: %v", err)
    }
    if len(courses) == 0 {
        t.Fatal("No courses returned")
    }
}

Best practices and optimization

• Cache frequently accessed data to reduce API calls
• Use goroutines for concurrent operations (but be mindful of rate limits!)
• Implement robust error handling and logging

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid foundation for a Thinkific API integration in Go. Remember, this is just the beginning - there's a whole world of Thinkific API endpoints to explore. Keep experimenting, keep coding, and most importantly, have fun with it!

Need more info? Check out the Thinkific API docs for a deep dive into all available endpoints.

Happy coding, Gophers!