API Integration Guide

1. Understanding APIs

An API (Application Programming Interface) acts as a bridge between different software applications, allowing them to communicate and share data. Key concepts include:

REST APIs - Stateless communication over HTTP
Endpoints - Specific URLs that perform different functions
HTTP Methods - GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.
Authentication - Securing API access
Response Formats - Usually JSON or XML

2. Setting Up Your Development Environment

VS Code Setup

                # Recommended VS Code Extensions:
                - Thunder Client (API testing)
                - REST Client
                - JSON Tools
                - API Elements

GitHub Integration

                # Store API credentials securely:
                - Use .env files
                - Add .env to .gitignore
                - Use GitHub Secrets for CI/CD

3. Sigma Computing API Integration

Authentication Setup

                # Get Access Token
                curl -X POST https://api.sigmacomputing.com/v2/auth/token \
                  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
                  -d '{"clientId": "YOUR_CLIENT_ID", "clientSecret": "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET"}'

Pro Tip: Tokens expire after 1 hour. Implement token refresh logic in your applications.

Common API Operations

                # List Workbooks
                GET https://api.sigmacomputing.com/v2/workbooks

                # Create Connection
                POST https://api.sigmacomputing.com/v2/connections

                # Export Data
                POST https://api.sigmacomputing.com/v2/workbooks/{workbookId}/export

4. Error Handling & Best Practices

Important: Always implement proper error handling:

Handle rate limits (1 request/second for token endpoint)
Implement retry logic with exponential backoff
Log API responses for debugging

                async function makeAPICall(endpoint) {
                    try {
                        const response = await fetch(endpoint, {
                            headers: {
                                'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`,
                                'Content-Type': 'application/json'
                            }
                        });

                        if (!response.ok) {
                            throw new Error(`API error: ${response.status}`);
                        }

                        return await response.json();
                    } catch (error) {
                        console.error('API call failed:', error);
                        // Implement retry logic here
                    }
                }

5. Pagination & Data Management

When working with large datasets:

Default page size: 50 items
Maximum page size: 1,000 items
Use the nextPage parameter for subsequent requests

                async function fetchAllPages(initialUrl) {
                    let url = initialUrl;
                    let allData = [];

                    while (url) {
                        const response = await fetch(url);
                        const data = await response.json();

                        allData = [...allData, ...data.entries];
                        url = data.nextPage;
                    }

                    return allData;
                }

6. Security Considerations

Security Best Practices:

Never expose API credentials in client-side code
Implement proper CORS policies
Use environment variables for sensitive data
Regularly rotate API credentials
Monitor API usage for unusual patterns

7. Testing & Monitoring

API Testing with Postman

                # Test Suite Structure:
                - Environment setup
                - Authentication tests
                - CRUD operations
                - Error scenarios
                - Rate limit testing

Monitoring

Track API response times
Monitor error rates
Set up alerts for failures
Log all API interactions

Complete API Integration Guide

1. Understanding APIs

2. Setting Up Your Development Environment

VS Code Setup

GitHub Integration

3. Sigma Computing API Integration

Authentication Setup

Common API Operations

4. Error Handling & Best Practices

5. Pagination & Data Management

6. Security Considerations

7. Testing & Monitoring

API Testing with Postman

Monitoring