Step by Step Guide to Building a UKG Ready API Integration in Ruby

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of UKG Ready API integration? You're in for a treat. We'll be building a slick Ruby integration that'll have you pulling employee data, managing time and attendance, and accessing payroll info 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 UKG Ready API credentials (if you don't have these, go bug your admin!)

Setting up the project

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

mkdir ukg_ready_integration
cd ukg_ready_integration
bundle init

Now, add these gems to your Gemfile:

gem 'httparty'
gem 'dotenv'

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

Authentication

Alright, let's tackle authentication. UKG Ready uses OAuth 2.0, so we'll need to get an access token:

require 'httparty'
require 'dotenv/load'

class UKGReadyClient
  include HTTParty
  base_uri 'https://api.ultipro.com'

  def initialize
    @token = get_token
  end

  private

  def get_token
    response = self.class.post('/auth/token', 
      body: {
        grant_type: 'client_credentials',
        client_id: ENV['UKG_CLIENT_ID'],
        client_secret: ENV['UKG_CLIENT_SECRET']
      }
    )
    response.parsed_response['access_token']
  end
end

Pro tip: Use environment variables for your credentials. Never hardcode them!

Making API requests

Now that we're authenticated, let's make some requests:

def get_employees
  self.class.get('/personnel/v1/employees', 
    headers: { 'Authorization' => "Bearer #{@token}" }
  )
end

Easy peasy, right? Just remember to include that token in your headers.

Working with UKG Ready endpoints

UKG Ready has a ton of endpoints. Here's a quick example for time and attendance:

def get_timecards(start_date, end_date)
  self.class.get("/timemanagement/v1/timecards?startDate=#{start_date}&endDate=#{end_date}", 
    headers: { 'Authorization' => "Bearer #{@token}" }
  )
end

Error handling and logging

Don't forget to handle those pesky errors:

def api_request
  response = yield
  if response.success?
    response
  else
    logger.error "API error: #{response.code} - #{response.body}"
    raise "API request failed"
  end
end

Data parsing and manipulation

JSON is your friend here. Parse those responses and transform the data as needed:

def get_employee_names
  response = api_request { get_employees }
  response.parsed_response['data'].map { |employee| employee['name'] }
end

Building reusable components

As your integration grows, you'll want to break things out into modules:

module UKGReady
  module Employees
    def get_employees
      # ...
    end
  end

  module TimeManagement
    def get_timecards
      # ...
    end
  end
end

class UKGReadyClient
  include UKGReady::Employees
  include UKGReady::TimeManagement
  # ...
end

Testing the integration

Don't skimp on testing! Here's a quick example using RSpec:

RSpec.describe UKGReadyClient do
  let(:client) { UKGReadyClient.new }

  describe '#get_employees' do
    it 'returns a list of employees' do
      VCR.use_cassette('employees') do
        response = client.get_employees
        expect(response).to be_success
        expect(response.parsed_response['data']).to be_an(Array)
      end
    end
  end
end

Best practices and optimization

Remember to respect rate limits and implement caching where it makes sense. Your future self will thank you!

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've just built a solid foundation for your UKG Ready API integration. From here, you can expand on this base, add more endpoints, and really make it sing.

Remember, the key to a great integration is clean, modular code and robust error handling. Now go forth and integrate with confidence!

Happy coding!