Dealing with external API Responses

Level 60

Hi, you could use a trait for it, parent class or a helper function globally registered

Best Answer

Level 61

DRY it out and then use DataTransferObject/ValueObject to transfer that information.

1 like

Level 10

Hmm, I don't know how to... You think that this package https://github.com/spatie/data-transfer-object can help me? Sorry but I never heard about Data Transfer Object

Level 10

I'll create a class called GameData, with some default attributes. That way, if the request does not provide me the attribute, the class will get the default property.

Level 10

After researching I decide to use the Data Transfer Object approach. I downloaded the Spatie package, and start refactoring my code :)

Much better now without repeating the formatForView() in every controller.

Here is my repo after modifications: https://github.com/pedroroccon/gamefy

aurawindsurfing

Level 50

Hey @pedroroccon

Now this might seem like too simple to be true but what I have been using lately is simple Laravel build in Http client: https://laravel.com/docs/8.x/http-client

you can simply use it like this:

 $transactions = Http::post(env('PLAID_ENV') . '/transactions/get', [
            'client_id'    => env('PLAID_CLIENT_ID'),
            'secret'       => env('PLAID_SECRET'),
            'access_token' => $this->access_token,
            'start_date'   => '2018-01-01',
            'end_date'     => '2020-12-31',
        ]);

and the data:

$transactions->json();

array:5 [▼
  "accounts" => array:9 [▶]
  "item" => array:7 [▶]
  "request_id" => "5gct38tRiRmz0IW"
  "total_transactions" => 6
  "transactions" => array:6 [▶]
]

add in your model casting to array or object or even better a custom cast and you get your magic. Here is a good link to what @bugsysha is talking about: https://jessarcher.com/blog/casting-json-columns-to-value-objects/

Your code looks good by the way!

Level 61

In my mind there is no reason why response should be persisted to the database unless that is the way he caches it for future usage.

https://github.com/pedroroccon/gamefy/blob/master/app/Http/Controllers/GamesController.php https://github.com/pedroroccon/gamefy/blob/master/app/Http/Livewire/ComingSoon.php https://github.com/pedroroccon/gamefy/blob/master/app/Http/Livewire/PopularGames.php

Level 10

@aurawindsurfing I understand the Http concept. What i'm trying to understand is: how can I extract the "formatForView()" method and keeps my application running.

martinbean

Level 80

@pedroroccon If you’re converting the representation of something in another system, to an internal representation for your application, then that’s the perfect use case for the data mapper pattern.

You’d create a VideoGameDataMapper that has methods to convert a video game from the API response to a VideoGame object in your application, and back again if you needed to send video game data back to the API.

1 like

Level 61

If you’re converting the representation of something in another system, to an internal representation for your application, then that’s the perfect use case for the data mapper pattern.

I think that data mapper is bi-directional and since he is only retrieving the data from that external API data mapper is not the correct choice here?

martinbean

Level 80

Why does that mean a data mapper is no longer appropriate? A data mapper can be one way if that’s all you need. All it does is map data from one representation to another.

Level 61

Cause data mapper is usually between in memory object and persistence layer. Since he only needs a place for received fields and to remedy for the fields that are missing data, data transfer object is the way to go.

On the other hand if he wants a place to even persist that data, then definitely data mapper is the way to go. But then what is the point of Eloquent model?