Hi all,
The full integration potential of LexiFi Apropos is realized through its robust ability to communicate with external systems via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). These APIs facilitate various levels of data exchange, by, among other benefits, eliminating manual processes such as data checks and lengthy email communications.
By standardizing communication between business lines, LexiFi Apropos significantly enhances efficiency, accelerating information processing while minimizing operational risks.
Web APIs enable third-party systems to interact with LexiFi’s functionalities through HTTPS requests. LexiFi’s features and services are accessible through well-documented APIs, allowing users to connect to external systems and perform various operations easily.
APIs like Grid Reporting and Document Generation are especially notable, as they automate complex tasks such as exporting highly detailed and customized reports, thus reducing the time and effort typically required for such operations. Similarly, APIs for pricing and quantitative analyses enable users to perform in-depth financial evaluations and return key pricing data.
This flexibility, combined with the ability to customize and perform API requests through LexiFi’s scripting language, ensures that users can adapt the system to their specific automation needs, maximizing the power of LexiFi Apropos across various operational scenarios.
While APIs are web interfaces that allow different software applications to communicate and exchange data, the API Dashboard simplifies the process of discovering, constructing, debugging and managing these interactions. It provides users with various tools making it easier to design, execute and test API calls without needing deep technical knowledge.
Essentially, the API Dashboard abstracts the complexities of working directly with APIs, allowing users to focus on leveraging the functionality of the APIs to enhance their workflows and automate tasks efficiently. Through this integration, the API Dashboard maximizes the usability and effectiveness of APIs, enabling seamless communication and data exchange across various systems.
API overview: how “API calls” work
To initiate an API call, an application must send a request to a specific URL tied to a defined endpoint. The endpoint represents a function or service provided by the API, (price, Grid Report, Import Contract etc.) and different endpoints correspond to different functionalities. In the case of LexiFi’s API, each endpoint has distinct features and requirements. When making an API call, the user specifies the endpoint, but the request won’t work without proper authentication through a token.
Token authentication is now handled with Per-User tokens a new and more secure feature, allowing each user to define tokens for each endpoint, offering a higher level of security and granularity (after an initial configuration by the system administrator).
Once granted access to a defined endpoint, users can generate tokens directly from the interface. These tokens provide access to the endpoint while applying data-restriction constraints tailored to each user for interactive use.
Once the token is defined and the correct endpoint is identified, the API request also needs to include a JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) payload, which is a structured data format that the endpoint expects to be able to process.
To be noted: Some endpoints don’t take JSON inputs (such as the recent addition of a stateless PDF importer).
JSON: the core of data exchange in APIs
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight well established format for exchanging data. It uses key-value pairs to organize information and is widely used in API calls because of its simplicity and ease of integration with different systems. For LexiFi’s API, each endpoint specifies a particular JSON format and the user must adhere to this structure to ensure the request is correctly processed and responded to by the system. For instance, an endpoint responsible for generating a grid report may require a specific set of inputs (date, file, etc.), all formatted in JSON.
LexiFi’s API Dashboard simplifies this process by helping the user automatically generate the required JSON format.
LexiFi’s API Dashboard: simplifying the process
The API Dashboard is a comprehensive graphical interface, accessible in LexiFi Web, that helps users discover, construct, manage, and execute API calls efficiently.
With the integration of tokens, endpoints, URLs, and JSON formatting, the Dashboard serves as an all-in-one solution for designing and setting up API requests.
- Token management: Users can choose between a fixed token or individual tokens per endpoint. The latter improves security by allowing each user to define unique tokens for different functions.
- Endpoint selection: The API Dashboard helps users identify the correct endpoint and the specific features tied to it.
- JSON formatting: One of the core benefits of the API Dashboard is its ability to help users define the correct JSON format for each endpoint, ensuring requests are properly constructed. The Dashboard provides a GUI that allows to edit easily the argument of a given API call, generating then a syntactically correct JSON description of the edited value.
- Automation: by using the API Dashboard, users can automate the creation of API requests and integrate them into scripts, streamlining workflows and reducing manual effort.
💡Integration with Swagger
The API Dashboard utilizes Swagger to provide interactive and comprehensive documentation of available APIs. Swagger simplifies the integration process by offering clear outlines of endpoints, required parameters, and response formats. Users can test API calls directly within Swagger’s interface, enhancing understanding and facilitating real-time experimentation with the API functionalities.
- API documentation: Swagger automatically generates clear, detailed documentation that outlines each API’s endpoints, required parameters, request/response formats, and authentication methods. This documentation significantly aids in the integration and use of LexiFi’s APIs.
- Interactive testing: with Swagger’s interactive interface, users can experiment with API calls in real-time, making it easier to understand how to construct requests and what responses to expect. This is particularly valuable for users who may not be familiar with API interactions.
Addressing complexity with API Helpers
Two of the most frequently used endpoints in LexiFi’s API ecosystem are:
- Grid Report: this is the most utilized endpoint, offering users the ability to generate complex, customizable reports.
- Document Generation: this endpoint automates the creation of documents based on specified parameters and templates.
However, many users struggle with converting their inputs into the correct JSON format required by these two endpoints.
For users who may find it challenging to convert their inputs into the required format for the API, LexiFi has introduced API Helpers. These tools simplify the process by assisting users in configuring their inputs to match the endpoint’s requirements. For instance, if a user needs to change a specific parameter, such as a date, in a request for grid reporting, they can use the Desktop API Helpers to make this adjustment. By clicking on the relevant fields, users can adjust parameters like dates and other inputs directly in the Application Desktop. The API Helpers then automatically configure the request, providing the correct JSON format for the user.
The following video demonstrates how to update the end date of a Grid Report and then use the API helper in the Desktop application to generate a new JSON file within the API Dashboard.
Conclusion
The API Dashboard in LexiFi provides a robust solution for managing and executing API requests. By automating token management, endpoint configuration, and JSON formatting, the dashboard significantly reduces the complexity of building and running API calls. Moreover, with the integration of features like API Helpers and Swagger for comprehensive documentation, users can navigate even the more complicated aspects of API requests, such as input management and advanced query construction. As APIs continue to be a cornerstone of financial software, LexiFi’s API Dashboard ensures that users can engage with these technologies efficiently and securely.
