Step by Step Guide to Building a Tilda Publishing API Integration in C#

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of Tilda Publishing API integration? You're in for a treat. This guide will walk you through creating a robust C# integration that'll have you manipulating Tilda projects like a pro. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

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

• Visual Studio or your favorite C# IDE
• .NET Core 3.1 or later
• Tilda Publishing API credentials (you've got these, right?)

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 following NuGet packages:

   Install-Package Newtonsoft.Json
   Install-Package RestSharp
   

Authentication

Tilda uses API key authentication. Let's set that up:

public class TildaApiClient
{
    private readonly string _apiKey;
    private readonly RestClient _client;

    public TildaApiClient(string apiKey)
    {
        _apiKey = apiKey;
        _client = new RestClient("https://api.tildacdn.com/v1/");
    }

    // We'll add more methods here soon!
}

Making API requests

Now, let's create a method to make our API calls:

private async Task<T> MakeRequest<T>(string endpoint, Method method, object body = null)
{
    var request = new RestRequest(endpoint, method);
    request.AddQueryParameter("publickey", _apiKey);
    
    if (body != null)
    {
        request.AddJsonBody(body);
    }

    var response = await _client.ExecuteAsync<T>(request);
    
    if (!response.IsSuccessful)
    {
        throw new Exception($"API request failed: {response.ErrorMessage}");
    }

    return response.Data;
}

Implementing core API functionalities

Let's add some methods to fetch projects and pages:

public async Task<List<Project>> GetProjects()
{
    return await MakeRequest<List<Project>>("getprojectslist", Method.GET);
}

public async Task<Page> GetPage(int projectId, int pageId)
{
    return await MakeRequest<Page>($"getpage/?projectid={projectId}&pageid={pageId}", Method.GET);
}

Error handling and logging

Don't forget to wrap your API calls in try-catch blocks and log any errors:

try
{
    var projects = await client.GetProjects();
    Console.WriteLine($"Found {projects.Count} projects");
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Error fetching projects: {ex.Message}");
    // Log the error to your preferred logging system
}

Optimizing performance

To keep things speedy, let's implement some basic caching:

private readonly Dictionary<string, object> _cache = new Dictionary<string, object>();

private async Task<T> CachedRequest<T>(string cacheKey, Func<Task<T>> apiCall)
{
    if (_cache.TryGetValue(cacheKey, out var cachedResult))
    {
        return (T)cachedResult;
    }

    var result = await apiCall();
    _cache[cacheKey] = result;
    return result;
}

Testing the integration

Don't skip testing! Here's a simple unit test to get you started:

[Fact]
public async Task GetProjects_ReturnsProjects()
{
    var client = new TildaApiClient("your-api-key");
    var projects = await client.GetProjects();
    Assert.NotEmpty(projects);
}

Best practices and considerations

Remember to:

• Keep your API key secure (use environment variables or secure storage)
• Respect rate limits
• Handle API changes gracefully

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid foundation for your Tilda Publishing API integration. From here, you can expand on this base, adding more specific functionalities as needed.

Remember, the key to a great integration is continuous improvement. Keep an eye on the Tilda API documentation for updates, and don't be afraid to refactor your code as you learn more.

Now go forth and create some awesome Tilda integrations! Happy coding!