Self-Development Kit for NodeJS

19 September 2023 12:57

Introduction

Our Self-Development Kits (SDKs) are Connector Libraries for our insanely fast Registrar Backend Systems. The SDKs cover the API Communication Best Practives and easy ways for requesting and accessing data. Do not hesitate to reach out. The API Communications happens based on POST Requests via HTTPS Protocol to respective Registrar Backend System. We're not communicating with a REST API because these SDKs cover multiple Brands in a generic way and for some brands, there's no REST API available. In addition the available REST APIs are not following a generic structure - a must have for a generic cross-brand compatible library. In addition they are not supporting plain contact data handling in Requests yet which is a must have for 3rd-party Software Integrations as dealing with contact handles and their IDs in commands isn't possible.

Although this sounds very technical, we promise that this Library helps already a lot in regards to this kind of API Communication. Left is to learn about the exact API Commands to request for ordering services and products or just for accessing the data you're looking for. This is where a REST API and a related client library would be more self-explaining and doing definitely better. We are aware of this!

Sadly, our SDKs have a different level of supported features and registrar brands. Still, the below UML Diagram is representing the Core possibilities and can be used as high-level overview. For exact details we recommend checking the SDK-specific Class Documentation. Our PHP-/NODE-SDKs cover right now the most advanced structure as they are used in-house and in our 3rd-party Software Integrations. We also recommend having an eye on the Demo Apps of our SDKs to identify how they have to be used.

All SDKs are supporting brand HEXONET (HX), except the PHP-SDK which is supporting CentralNic Reseller (CNR) as well.

FWIW

Features

Automatic IDN Domain name conversion to punycode (our API accepts only punycode format in commands)
Allows Nested Arrays in API Commands to improve in direction of Bulk Parameters
Connecting and communication with our API
Possibility to use a custom mechanism for debug mode
Several ways to access and deal with response data
Getting the command again returned together with the response
Sensible Data (e.g. Password) is hidden in Debug Output and Data Access Methods for Security Reasons
Sessionless Communication
Session based Communication
Possibility to save API session identifier in session
Configure a Proxy for API communication
Configure a Referer for API communication
High Performance Proxy Setup

UML Diagram

Resources

Our Classes provide further useful Methods for getting the connection configured and response data accessed. Have an eye on the Class Documentation and the UML Diagram for further insights.

Class Documentation: PHP-SDK, NODE-SDK, PYTHON-SDK, JAVA-SDK, GO-SDK, PERL-SDK
HEXONET API Documentation
CentralNic Reseller API Documentation

Basic Usage Examples

We have very basic Demo Apps available showing how to integrate and use our SDKs:

PHP-SDK, NODE-SDK, PYTHON-SDK, JAVA-SDK, GO-SDK, PERL-SDK

OT&E System

OT&E Sytem stands for Operational Test & Evaluation System. No costs, just for playing around with things. This system can be seen as a kind of sandbox system that allows to test your integration first before going live with it. This system and the use of our products and services is completely free of charge. To use this system, use APIClient’s method `useOTESystem`. Otherwise Live System will be used by default.

LIVE System

The real world system - This system and the use our services and products can lead to real costs depending on what you’re exactly doing. Live System will be used by default, but you can also use APIClient’s method `useLIVESystem` to add it in source code for reference.

Requirements

NodeJS >= 16. We suggest using nvm.

Installation Instructions

Use the following command to get our Module installed:

    npm i @hexonet/ispapi-apiconnector --save

Always ensure to have the latest release version in use.

High Performance Proxy Setup

Long distances to our main data center in Germany may result in high network latencies. If you encounter such problems, we highly recommend to use this setup, as it uses persistent connections to our API server and the overhead for connection establishments is omitted.

1 - Apache Modules

At least Apache version 2.2.9 is required.

The following Apache2 modules must be installed and activated:

proxy.conf
proxy.load
proxy_http.load
ssl.conf # for HTTPs connection to our API server
ssl.load # for HTTPs connection to our API server

2 - Apache Configuration

An example Apache configuration with binding to localhost (example for HEXONET!):

<VirtualHost 127.0.0.1:80>
    ServerAdmin webmaster@localhost

    ServerSignature Off

    SSLProxyEngine on
    ProxyPass /api/call.cgi https://api.ispapi.net/api/call.cgi min=1 max=2
    ProxyPass /api-ote/call.cgi https://api-ote.ispapi.net/api/call.cgi min=1 max=2
    <Proxy *>
        Order Deny,Allow
        Deny from none
        Allow from all
    </Proxy>
</VirtualHost>

After saving your configuration changes please restart the Apache webserver. Basically, this example also works for any other Registrar API. You'll just have to customize the ProxyPass settings. ProxyPass snippet for CentralNic Reseller (CNR):

    # ...
    ProxyPass /api/call.cgi https://api.rrpproxy.net/api/call.cgi min=1 max=2
    ProxyPass /api-ote/call.cgi https://api-ote.rrpproxy.net/api/call.cgi min=1 max=2
    # ...

3 - Implementation

async function main () {
  const apiconnector = require('@hexonet/ispapi-apiconnector')
  const cl = new apiconnector.APIClient()
  cl.useHighPerformanceConnectionSetup()
    .useOTESystem()
    .setCredentials('test.user', 'test.passw0rd')
    .setRemoteIPAddress('1.2.3.4:80')
  const r = await cl.request({ COMMAND: 'StatusAccount' })
  console.log(r.getPlain())
}
main()

So, what happens in code behind the scenes? We communicate with localhost (so our proxy setup) that passes the requests to the HEXONET API. Of course we can’t activate this setup by default as it is based on Steps 1 and 2. Otherwise connecting to our API wouldn’t work.

Just in case the above port or ip address can’t be used, use function setURL instead to set a different URL / Port. http://127.0.0.1/api/call.cgi is the default URL for the High Performance Proxy Setup. e.g. $cl->setURL("http://127.0.0.1:8765/api/call.cgi"); would change the port. Configure that port also in the Apache Configuration (-> Step 2)!

Don’t use https for that setup as it leads to slowing things down as of the https overhead of securing the connection. In this setup we just connect to localhost, so no direct outgoing network traffic using http. The apache configuration finally takes care passing it to https for the final communication to the HEXONET API.

Customize Logging / Outputs

When having the debug mode activated \HEXONET\Logger will be used for doing outputs. Of course it could be of interest for integrators to look for a way of getting this replaced by a custom mechanism like forwarding things to a 3rd-party software, logging into file or whatever.

async function main () {
  const logger = require('mycustomlogger') // has to extend our logger
  const apiconnector = require('@hexonet/ispapi-apiconnector')
  const cl = new apiconnector.APIClient()
  cl.useOTESystem()
    .setCredentials('test.user', 'test.passw0rd')
    .setRemoteIPAddress('1.2.3.4:80')
    .enableDebugMode()
    .setCustomLogger(new logger.MyCustomLogger())
  await cl.request({ COMMAND: 'StatusAccount' })
}
main()

NOTE: Find an example for a custom logger class implementation in src/customlogger.ts. If you have questions, feel free to open a github issue.

Usage Examples

We provide only documentation and examples for the latest release.

API response format

If you got the API communication working, you will notice that we provide two response formats via this library. a) Plain Format b) Hash Format c) ListHash Format

The different response formats can be accessed through the Response object itself that is returned by login, logout and request method:

// console.log(r.getPlain())
// console.log(r.getHash())
// console.log(l.getListHash())

The plain format represents the API plain response. The hash format represents the API response parsed into a js object. The list format makes sense, if you’re working with table libraries based on our list commands and need the hash format parsed into a list format.

Still, and that’s the good thing: No need to

API response codes

The API response (a JSON object) provides always two keys: CODE and DESCRIPTION. CODE represents a return code which indicates the following cases: “200” -> The command has been processed successfully by the API “4xx” -> A temporary API error occured, retry later “5xx” -> An API error occured

In case of a (temporary) error the DESCRIPTION may provide more details on the reason.

The hash format provides a PROPERTY key that covers potential data. The list format provides a LIST key that covers potential data.

Session-based API Communication

This example is thought for anyone who builds up his own frontend including user login and logout functionality. See how login and logout works and how the request method depends on the login mechanism! The logout can be done at any time separetely triggered. After logout no further requests reusing the by login returned socketcfg are possible. Note: you have to first finish your requests before doing logout. Running queued requests may fail after logout.

async function main () {
  const apiconnector = require('@hexonet/ispapi-apiconnector')
  const cl = new apiconnector.APIClient()
  // Use OT&E system, omitting this points by default to the LIVE system
  cl.useOTESystem()
  // Set your user id, here: the OT&E demo user
    .setCredentials('test.user', 'test.passw0rd')
  // Set Remote IP Address (in case of IP Filter setting)
    .setRemoteIPAddress('1.2.3.4:80')
  // Set a subuser view
  // cl.setUserView('hexotestman.com');

  console.log('login ...')
  let r = await cl.login()
  // Provide an one time password (active 2FA)
  // const r = await cl.login('12345678');
  if (r.getCode() !== 200) { // login failed
    console.log(`LOGIN FAILED -> ${r.getCode()} ${r.getDescription()}`)
    return
  }
  console.log('LOGIN SUCCEEDED')

  console.log('request further commands ...')
  r = await cl.request({
    COMMAND: 'StatusUser'
  })
  console.log(`RESPONSE -> ${r.getCode()} ${r.getDescription()}`)

  console.log('logout ...')
  r = await cl.logout()
  if (r.getCode() !== '200') { // login failed
    console.log(`LOGOUT FAILED -> ${r.getCode()} ${r.getDescription()}`)
    return
  }
  console.log('LOGOUT SUCCEEDED')
}
main()

Your Frontend build on top of our SDK:

If you want to create your own frontend application based on our SDK, you will have to know how you can save APIClient’s session configuration data to the nodejs session and how to rebuild a new APIClient instance out of it on next incoming request.

After successful login, use cl.saveSession(req.session) to save APIClient’s session into the nodejs one. This snippet is an example for the expressjs framework where req is the incoming ClientRequest and req.session the expressjs session instance.

In your generic route for making API calls use cl.reuseSession(req.session) to rebuild APIClient’s session out of the previously saved data.

We cannot provide integration examples for part depends on your app itself and your own needs. Still feel free to contact us in case you’re stuck.

Sessionless API Communication

In the below example no login / logout procedure is required. This is thought for cases where a user session is not of interest. But in that case you always have to provide user and password accordingly. If you want to build your frontend based on this library, we suggest to base it on the above example.

async function main () {
  const apiconnector = require('@hexonet/ispapi-apiconnector')
  const cl = new apiconnector.APIClient()
  // Use OT&E system, omitting this points by default to the LIVE system
  cl.useOTESystem()
  // Set your user id, here: the OT&E demo user
    .setCredentials('test.user', 'test.passw0rd')
  // Set Remote IP Address (in case of IP Filter setting)
    .setRemoteIPAddress('1.2.3.4:80')
  // Set a subuser view
  // .setUserView('hexotestman.com')
  // Set a one time password (active 2FA)
  // .setOTP('12345678')

  const r = cl.request({
    COMMAND: 'StatusUser'
  })
  console.log(r.getPlain())
}
main()

Promise based

No need to play with async / await.

const apiconnector = require('@hexonet/ispapi-apiconnector')
const cl = new apiconnector.APIClient()
// Use OT&E system, omitting this points by default to the LIVE system
cl.useOTESystem()
// Set your user id, here: the OT&E demo user
cl.setCredentials('test.user', 'test.passw0rd')
// Set Remote IP Address (in case of IP Filter setting)
cl.setRemoteIPAddress('1.2.3.4:80')
// Set a subuser view
// cl.setUserView('hexotestman.com');
// Set a one time password (active 2FA)
// cl.setOTP('12345678');

cl.request({
  COMMAND: 'StatusUser'
}).then((r) => {
  console.log(r.getPlain())
})

Method Chaining

Shorten your code by using method chaining

const apiconnector = require('@hexonet/ispapi-apiconnector')
const cl = new apiconnector.APIClient()
cl.useOTESystem()
  .setCredentials('test.user', 'test.passw0rd')
  .setRemoteIPAddress('1.2.3.4:80')
// .setUserView('hexotestman.com');
// .setOTP('12345678');

cl.request({
  COMMAND: 'StatusUser'
}).then((r) => {
  console.log(r.getPlain())
})

API Command: Nested Arrays

Improve your code by using the below

const apiconnector = require('@hexonet/ispapi-apiconnector')
const cl = new apiconnector.APIClient()
cl.useOTESystem()
  .setCredentials('test.user', 'test.passw0rd')
  .setRemoteIPAddress('1.2.3.4:80')
// .setUserView('hexotestman.com');
// .setOTP('12345678');

cl.request({
  COMMAND: 'QueryDomainOptions',
  DOMAIN: ['example1.com', 'example2.com']
}).then((r) => {
  console.log(r.getPlain())
})

instead of

const apiconnector = require('@hexonet/ispapi-apiconnector')
const cl = new apiconnector.APIClient()
cl.useOTESystem()
  .setCredentials('test.user', 'test.passw0rd')
  .setRemoteIPAddress('1.2.3.4:80')
// .setUserView('hexotestman.com');
// .setOTP('12345678');

cl.request({
  COMMAND: 'QueryDomainOptions',
  DOMAIN0: 'example1.com',
  DOMAIN1: 'example2.com'
}).then((r) => {
  console.log(r.getPlain())
})

The SDK itself will flatten the nested array correctly into expected plain text format before sending it to our API.