Does anyone use the API? Is it difficult?

[maxa]

Hello,

I'm sick of doing all my client's orders manually (surprised?). The reason why I do that is that 1) my sales website is not in English, and 2) in my market, sales by invoice work better than pre-paid by card.

Now, as the # of orders are increasing I need to have a look at how to automatize the process of ordering and billing.

I have seen some rather negative posts about the API, so first of all I wonder - does it really work? Did someone set it up sucessfully? Please share your experience.

Secondly, how hard is it? I'm not a programmer. I would probably need help with it. Would someone be intereseted in doing this for me for $$?

Thanks.

[Guest]

Hello,

I'm sick of doing all my client's orders manually (surprised?). The reason why I do that is that 1) my sales website is not in English, and 2) in my market, sales by invoice work better than pre-paid by card.

Now, as the # of orders are increasing I need to have a look at how to automatize the process of ordering and billing.

I have seen some rather negative posts about the API, so first of all I wonder - does it really work? Did someone set it up sucessfully? Please share your experience.

Secondly, how hard is it? I'm not a programmer. I would probably need help with it. Would someone be intereseted in doing this for me for $$?

Thanks.

I also would like to try my hand in using API. Anyone know any good website tutorial on how to handle this ? Appreciate it very much.

[Guest]

Not many are using it but those that are got help from RSP in setting it up. Its not really easy to install. There have been many that have tried installing it on their own and fail miserably(I'm one of them). Your best bet is to get help from RSP directly. But remember if you use the API you have to handle all the fraudulent orders and the billing which might be more of a headache than you want.

Adam

[slowie]

I had it running alright, but I fail to see the point of it, as I can't extract the prices from the different plans with it (unless that is an undocumented feature). I basically downloaded the api, including the test site, and set it up along the instructions, which were all fine and good.

The listing for the different plans was extremely basic though, however it did pick up my custom made plans, but alas, no prices for any of them, which was my sole reason for doing it, as I was hoping to load the prices into php variables as well as loading in an approximate exchange rate, mulitply the two and have pricings in GBP on my page that would be dynamic (as opposed to hard coded).

It basically said something like this for the plans: Business, 15 Gb, 300 Gb traffic (and something else), and then it listed the next one. The only real variable I would like to extract is the price though. Ah well.
If someone is successful with this, please let me know.

[Guest]

I haven't seen anyone here using API. Maybe RSP can point on someone?

No one confirmed API working.

[Guest]

I've just started my investigation of the API. I just finished a script for Amazon web services so I thought one for Resellerspanel would be cool but at first glance it looks a bit quirky.

My plan was to make a templated script for the API so I could automate entire web hosting sites. Is this level of automation possible through the RSP API or is there a bunch of other stuff to consider when using the API?

My first impression was that with the API people would just place orders and have there accounts set up automatically and that you just had to keep the wallet filled. My logical assumption would be that when the wallet runs out of funds the API would simply not set up the account and require you to do so manually. If there is more time overhead that needs to be involved I wonder if using the API is worth it?

[slowie]

That sounds about right when it comes to the basic idea for the API, yes.

I on the other hand actually like the fraud protection and payment options I get via the separate form, so I only intended to use the API as I described above, for ******* out the general info from my account about my hosting plans for further presentation options, but in "my" code (as opposed to the templates).

Also, I couldn't get it to do the hosting plan comparison, so again, if something differs between your plans it looks like you'd have to create the "static" code for that yourself, as the API can't give you any detailed information what-so-ever.

As you say, the only real reason right now for using the API (that I can see) is if you keep your wallet filled and the API then acts like an automated registration robot for you, and you want to do your own invoicing (all of which are things I'd rather have it NOT do).

[Guest]

Hello Slowie

Glad to hear that you could get it to work somehow.

Can I see your website with API implemented please?

Kind Regards
Arthur

[slowie]

Ah, yes, I had the example site working, and I only played around with that. As I noticed the lack of functionality I didn't bother integrating it into my design, and I have since disabled the "API test site" as well.

It did work though, and I just followed the instructions as specified in the pdf that comes with the API. It just didn't do what I wanted it to do.

As I am building my own site anyways (being a web developer and former web designer) I just wanted it to aid me with the numbers and details from my plans as described above, as I (like yourself I think) would prefer showing the prices in £GBP, and I thought I could hack the API to do at least feed my other code.

I am now looking for any exchange rate API instead, as I'm thinking my plan prices are fairly static, the only real variable is the exchange rate...

[Guest]

I just checked out the example and it worked great. Actually the example only displays a small portion of the information the API call returns for the plans. If you just dump the contents of the array returned its got everything including price and all of the options. The example returns the results in text and uses file() to break them into an array but it would be better to return them in XML and just parse them into arrays so that each plan would be its own sub array.

My conclusion I guess would be that the example code is just a starting point. Apparently you could even build a script to let your clients manage their DNS settings and everything.

As for the invoicing thing I'm wondering if something could be worked out with a Paypal subscription. A database application could flag past due accounts and maybe you could use a Paypal subscription with Instant Payment Notification to allow customers monthly, yearly or whatever payments and the application would catch the IPN and instantly extend their account time.

That way you would only have to deal with customers that get flagged for non payment. Either that or you could have it just close their account after a certain amount of time and not renew the hosting or whatever.

After taking a closer look it might be worth making a script after all.

[Guest]

Here's an example of what the API will return for one hosting plan.

<hosting_plan>
<name>Corporate</name>
<id>304481</id>
<type>plan</type>
<store_name>adsthegenius_2</store_name>
<store_id>65515</store_id>
<periods_count>1</periods_count>
-
	<periods>
<period_1>12</period_1>
</periods>
<offer_dom_free_count>1</offer_dom_free_count>
<offer_dom_free1>12</offer_dom_free1>
<plan_on_index>y</plan_on_index>
-
	<services>
<domain>10</domain>
<subdomain>40</subdomain>
<register_domain>1</register_domain>
<aliases>99999</aliases>
<mailbox>99999</mailbox>
<disk_space>25600000</disk_space>
<traffic>409600000</traffic>
<fpe>500</fpe>
<ppa>1500</ppa>
<mail_list>10</mail_list>
<site_studio>1</site_studio>
<ssh>0</ssh>
<ip>0</ip>
<ssl>50</ssl>
<cgi>1</cgi>
<filemanager>1</filemanager>
<ftp>5</ftp>
<sql>4</sql>
<sql_quota>45</sql_quota>
<stats>1</stats>
<redirect_url>50</redirect_url>
<backup>-1</backup>
<crontab>3</crontab>
<webmail>1</webmail>
<phpmy_admin>1</phpmy_admin>
<support>1</support>
<template>-1</template>
<smtp>1</smtp>
</services>
-
	<price_12>
<USD_12>133</USD_12>
</price_12>
<count/>
<life>-1</life>
<seq>2</seq>
<rp_product_id>2</rp_product_id>
<state>S</state>
</hosting_plan>

[slowie]

Good work!!

Pity they haven't documented it more, I didn't bother digging around that much, and would have left it at that, but now I probably will have a closer look.

I realised though that whatever quirky work-around I would come up with it wouldn't be exact amounts in my conversion between $ -> £ (therefore it would need a disclaimer) and it therefore would be simpler if I could set the prices in £ already in my admin control panel, which we all know isn't possible just yet.

[Guest]

If you look on the remote order forms or one of the order forms on the templates it gives the user the choice of paying with GBP AUD USD EUR and CAD and the prices are set according to the currency.

[slowie]

True true, and I know that. By that time the customer has already almost decided though and most people will never get to the orderform if they have left the site thinking it is all priced in $ instead of £. I would like to have the prices on my front-page in big letters next to a **** hardware pic etc, all the usual stuff for selling hosting.

It looks like the API can access the prices after all though.

To actually set the price in £ will probably take a long time to be implemented, if ever.

"£6" looks better than "$10.4634" even though they are the same.

[Guest]

Maybe there's some sort of API call from somewhere that can make the connversions dynamically and always up to date. Might check Yahoo Finance or something. The only problem then would be that the price in pounds might end up all uneven and crazy looking. Kind of like if a price in the USA was $103.72317 or something. I guess you could just round up at least to the nearest pound or something to make it look better.

Alternately you could just make a function to make the conversion and update the math every once in awhile and take whatever hit might come of constantly changing conversion rates. Or as a boring alternative you could actually manually change the prices on the site.