Easy API integration

Most people shudder when someone mentions API integration. For those that don’t know (and there’s nothing wrong with that – I had to Google it to make sure I got it right!) API stands for Application Prgramming Interface. To put it simply it is the thing that lets one piece of software talk to another piece of software and make things happen.

Besides OS compatibility the best available feature, in my opinion, of a SaaS (Software as a Service) solution is that it can offer an easily accessible online API. In my recent search for some accounts software this wasn’t initially my priority; as I run an online business it soon became apparent that to make things easier it would be paramount.

The good news is that Clear Books offer such an API, along with full details and simple examples using the PHP SoapClient (you can also communicate via XML if you please). And to my surprise it was very simple to use. I did have a little problem which, as usual, turned out to be at my end. But once that was resolved it was plain sailing.

In a nutshell the API can be used for:

A small example so you can see what I mean

When you order an SSL certificate at SSLDonkey you go through a simple sign up system where you have to input the required information. The screen shot below is the second part of the SSLD order process.

Unbeknown to you as a customer several things happen when you click on that continue button (none of then bad I assure you!). One of those things is to set you up in Clear Books and register your order. This sort of thing just isn’t available without an API and most definitely not on desktop based software.

Clear Book create entity file is included in main order script:

Content of create entity file:

You can see how easy it is to update the example code given – just add your information where needed. You can see I’ve left some the of the values hard coded as I have no reason for any more flexibility.

Content of ClearBooks config file:

You can get your apiKey from the settings tab when you have logged in to your Clear Books account. It’s way down bottom right and looks like this:

And in the words of a celeb chef … “done”.  That’s it. If you place an order it appears straight away in Clear Books. And when you pay for that order the corresponding transaction is also sent to Clear Books via the API.

Why is this so good? Simply it means my accounting is done for me. I don’t need to worry about inputting your details separately, or registering the order, the payment from you to Donkey Internet, the payment from Donkey Internet to the Certificate Authority, the payment gateway transaction and fees, manually. It is all done using 3 simple PHP includes and the simple SoapClient API from Clear Books.

Apart from when payments are received I’ve had to make very few changes to the provided examples on the Clear Book site. The reason the payments one has been a bit more complicated is because I have had to factor in gateway charges/percentages so have to do some custom coding before submitting to the API. In essence what is provided by Clear Books is still used, I just do some extra stuff before calling it.(Note: there is no update payment example but the concept is the same as those provided).

What’s more there is no extra charge for using the API! I asked Clear Books before writing this post if there were any new API calls coming out I could allude to but when I think about it I’m not sure there really need to be any more. At the end of the day accounts software exists to record transaction of all types in and out and for me that needs to be quick, simple and automated as much as possible!

NOTE: Screenshots are taken from our development site. SSLDonkey isn’t live just yet, but it is due to launch in February.

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