Step by Step Guide to Building a YouCanBookMe API Integration in C#

Aug 14, 2024 • 6 minute read

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to supercharge your scheduling game? Let's dive into integrating the YouCanBookMe API into your C# project. This nifty tool will let you programmatically manage bookings, making your life (and your users' lives) a whole lot easier.

Prerequisites

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

A C# development environment (Visual Studio, VS Code, or your preferred IDE)
A YouCanBookMe account with an API key (if you don't have one, hop over to their website and sign up)

Setting up the project

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

Fire up your IDE and create a new C# project.
We'll need to make HTTP requests and handle JSON, so let's add the necessary NuGet packages:

dotnet add package Newtonsoft.Json
dotnet add package RestSharp

Authentication

YouCanBookMe uses API key authentication. It's straightforward:

var client = new RestClient("https://api.youcanbook.me/v1/");
client.AddDefaultHeader("Authorization", $"Bearer {YOUR_API_KEY}");

Replace {YOUR_API_KEY} with your actual API key. Easy peasy!

Making API requests

Now, let's make some API calls:

var request = new RestRequest("bookings", Method.GET);
var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);

if (response.IsSuccessful)
{
    var bookings = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Booking>>(response.Content);
    // Do something with your bookings
}

Core API functionalities

Here are some key operations you'll likely want to implement:

Retrieving available time slots

var request = new RestRequest("availability", Method.GET);
request.AddQueryParameter("start", "2023-06-01");
request.AddQueryParameter("end", "2023-06-07");
var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);

Creating bookings

var request = new RestRequest("bookings", Method.POST);
request.AddJsonBody(new
{
    start = "2023-06-01T10:00:00Z",
    end = "2023-06-01T11:00:00Z",
    name = "John Doe",
    email = "[email protected]"
});
var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);

Fetching booking details

var request = new RestRequest($"bookings/{bookingId}", Method.GET);
var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);

Updating/canceling bookings

var request = new RestRequest($"bookings/{bookingId}", Method.PUT);
request.AddJsonBody(new { status = "cancelled" });
var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);

Error handling and best practices

Always wrap your API calls in try-catch blocks:

try
{
    var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);
    // Handle response
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Oops! Something went wrong: {ex.Message}");
}

And don't forget about rate limiting! YouCanBookMe has limits on API calls, so be sure to implement proper throttling in your application.

Sample implementation

Here's a quick example putting it all together:

public async Task<List<Booking>> GetTodaysBookings()
{
    var request = new RestRequest("bookings", Method.GET);
    request.AddQueryParameter("start", DateTime.Today.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd"));
    request.AddQueryParameter("end", DateTime.Today.AddDays(1).ToString("yyyy-MM-dd"));

    try
    {
        var response = await client.ExecuteAsync(request);
        if (response.IsSuccessful)
        {
            return JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Booking>>(response.Content);
        }
        else
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"API request failed: {response.ErrorMessage}");
            return null;
        }
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        Console.WriteLine($"Exception occurred: {ex.Message}");
        return null;
    }
}

Testing the integration

Before you ship it, give your integration a thorough test. Tools like Postman are great for this, allowing you to send requests and inspect responses easily.

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now equipped to integrate YouCanBookMe into your C# projects. Remember, this is just the beginning - there's a lot more you can do with the API. Don't be afraid to experiment and expand on this foundation.

Additional resources

Happy coding, and may your bookings always be on time!