With the RailsBerry conference right around the corner, we teamed up with Tropo and the people behind the event to organize an API Bakeoff. The event was announced on Monday and almost immediately after the ticket sale started, all the spots were taken.
So once everyone gets here, we will announce the topics but we would like you to know what we want to focus on during the hackathon. We want to focus on building cool stuff using the Tropo and Futuresimple’s Base APIs. Here is some info to get you started:
Tropo
Tropo is a powerful yet simple API that adds Voice, SMS, Twitter, and IM support to the programming languages we know. With tropo you can call people, transcript voice, send IMs as well as text messages.
You can get to know their documentation along with some instructions on their Documentation Page, and once you skim through those, we have prepared this to get you up and running (gist link):
# In order to connect with Tropo you need to provide your username and password - if you do not
# want to store it in the code you can export it to the environment variables:
# export TROPO_USERNAME=<tropo-username>
# export TROPO_PASSWORD=<tropo-pass>
# Script you will be running contains of two steps:
# Firstly you can create a tropo application by using Tropo Provisioning API.
# github repo https://github.com/tropo/tropo-provisioning
# documentation - https://www.tropo.com/docs/rest/rest_tutorials.htm#prov_tutorials
require 'tropo-provisioning'
require 'rest-client'
# Creates a session like object - once base_uri is not passed - it connects to "http://api.tropo.com/v1/" by default
tp = TropoProvisioning.new(ENV['TROPO_USERNAME'], ENV['TROPO_PASSWORD'], :base_uri => "http://api.tropo.com/v1/")
# => #<TropoProvisioning:0x007f87498e4d38 @tropo_client=#<TropoClient:0x007f8749acb020 @base_uri="http://api.tropo.com/v1/", @username="kiszal", @password="living.peryton62", @headers={"Content-Type"=>"application/json"}, @proxy=nil, @http=#<Net::HTTP api.tropo.com:80 open=false>>, @user_data=#<Hashie::Mash email="bart+tropo@futuresimple.com" firstName="Bart" href="http://api.tropo.com/v1/users/kiszal" id="138100" joinDate="2012-04-18T11:05:40.507+0000" lastName="Kiszala" marketingOptIn=true phoneNumber="1234567890" status="active" username="kiszal">>
#creates a new application in Tropo
app_id = tp.create_application({ :name => 'tropo-example-app',
:voiceUrl => 'http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7486597/coference.rb',
:partition => 'staging',
:platform => 'scripting' })
# => #<Hashie::Mash application_id="345196" href="http://api.tropo.com/v1/applications/345196">
# http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7486597/coference.rb - url address for a ruby script userd by the tropo application - you
# can host the file either in tropo cloud, or whatever other publicly available location - it has to be available
# under HTTP (https is no good - sadly github does not work for storing the scripting file :( )
# The simplest tropo app script can look sth like this (u can see it http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7486597/coference.rb ).
# It creates a conference call.
say "Welcome to the conference!"
conference "1525"
# Docs for Tropo Scripting API are available => https://www.tropo.com/docs/scripting/overview.htm
# Now fetch the skype number assigned to the application.
app_info = tp.addresses(app_id.application_id)
# => [#<Hashie::Mash address="9996193488@sip.tropo.com" application="http://api.tropo.com/v1/applications/345196" href="http://api.tropo.com/v1/applications/345196/addresses/sip/9996193488@sip.tropo.com" type="sip">, #<Hashie::Mash application="http://api.tropo.com/v1/applications/345196" href="http://api.tropo.com/v1/applications/345196/addresses/skype/+990009369996193488" number="+990009369996193488" type="skype">]
skype_number = app_info.select{|e| e.type == 'skype'}[0].number
# Secondly once you have your application ready and you want to run it programmatically (ex to initiates the call)
# you have to retrieve API token for that application. The only way I managed to get one is by going to tropo application
# (in the web interface) and generate voice outbound token (I could not find API access for a token).
# Once you generate one you have to launch it - also in the web interface.
# It takes up to couple of minutes for token to propagate.
# export TROPO_API_TOKEN=<tropo-api-token>
# After your api token is set up - you are able to run an application assigned to a token:
response = RestClient.get 'http://api.tropo.com/1.0/sessions', {
:params => {
:action => 'create',
:token => ENV['TROPO_API_TOKEN']
}
}
# Example conference caller application is here - http://blog.tropo.com/2012/02/24/ruby-on-rails-conference-caller/Base
Base is a powerful CRM solution for small businesses that allows you to track your sales as well as your contacts. Thousands of people use it everyday to manage their businesses.
Base offers a JSON-based API, documentation to which can be found at dev.futuresimple.com page, but it might be easier to use a Ruby Gem to communicate with the API. You can find the gem on GitHub
To get started with the API using the gem, check this out (also available as a gist:
# gem install pipejump
require 'rubygems'
require 'pipejump'
fs = Pipejump::Session.new(:email => "your.email@example.com", :password => "your.pass")
# ... if you have authentication token already
# fs = Pipejump::Session.new(:token => "token")
# show your account info
account = fs.account
# first 40 contacts
contacts = fs.contacts.all(:per_page => 40, :page => 1)
# create a contact
contact = fs.contacts.create(:name => "Foo Barsky")
# add a note to this contact
note = contact.notes.create(:content => "My first note")
# show all won deals
won_deals = fs.deals.all(:stage => "won")
# create a won deal with specifict contact_id set
deal = fs.deals.create(:name => "I'm rich!", :scope => 120000, :stage => "won", :client_id => contact.id)So what now ?
Once you’re set, you can check out one of the topics suggested by us during the event or let your imagination and creativity lead you and come up with either some app that integrates Tropo with Base or any of them on their own. Have fun!
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