API Development Flow

Developing an integration using the IDeaS API typically follows this general flow:

1. Understand the API:

   • Review the IDeaS API documentation to familiarize yourself with the available endpoints, concepts, request/response formats, authentication methods, and error codes.
   • Understand the scope of data to which you need access and the operations that need to be performed. This can be found in the Data Frequency Guidelines.

2. Obtain API Keys:

   • Request your unique Client ID and Client Secret
   • Understand the authorization grant flow and scopes required to access the necessary resources. See Authentication for further details.

3. Authenticate and Obtain Access Tokens:

   • Authenticate and get your JWToken access tokens and expiry times.

4. Make API Requests:

   • Construct HTTP requests using the appropriate methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to interact with the API endpoints.
   • Include necessary parameters in the request body, headers, or URL as specified by the IDeaS API documentation.

5. Handle Responses:

   • Process the JSON responses returned by the API. Ensure that you handle both successful responses (200-series HTTP codes) and error responses (400 and 500-series codes).
   • Implement error handling mechanisms, such as retry logic or user notifications, based on the returned status codes.

6. Maintain and Monitor the Integration:

   • Track usage patterns, manage rate limits, and monitor for any issues with the integration.
   • Stay updated with API version changes or updates to avoid deprecated endpoints or breaking changes.

7. Handle Token Expiry:

   • Handle token expiry and implement refresh token logic to ensure continuous access without requiring the user to log in again.

8. Testing and Certification:

   • Follow a self-guided process to reach the Production Beta stage. See Testing and Certification for further details.