Convert an existing integration to a Connector
Overview
This step-by-step guide explains how to convert an existing integration into a Connector. It outlines the modifications needed to ensure that the project aligns with the new Connector requirements.
The guide covers various aspects such as the Connector specification file (connect.yaml
), determining the appropriate application type, implementing the proper folder structure, and constructing the necessary automation scripts for managing extensions and subscriptions.
Configure connect.yaml
To convert an existing repository to a valid Connector you must create and configure a connect.yaml
file. connect.yaml
is required and is the starting point of each Connector repository.
connect.yaml
contains the descriptions and configurations of each application to be deployed, and is used to publish and deploy the Connector.
Example connect.yaml file
You can use the following example connect.yaml
file as a reference to create your own.
deployAs:- name: service_app_nameapplicationType: serviceendpoint: /servicescripts:postDeploy: npm run connector:post-deploypreUndeploy: npm run connector:pre-undeployconfiguration:standardConfiguration:- key: CTP_PROJECT_KEYdescription: Project key of the commercetools Composable Commerce Projectrequired: truedefault: 'default-key'securedConfiguration:- key: CTP_CLIENT_IDdescription: client_id of an API Client for the commercetools Composable Commerce Projectrequired: true- name: job_app_nameapplicationType: jobendpoint: /jobproperties:schedule: '*/5 * * * *'configuration:standardConfiguration:- key: CTP_PROJECT_KEYdescription: Project key of the commercetools Composable Commerce Projectrequired: truesecuredConfiguration:- key: CTP_CLIENT_IDdescription: client_id of an API Client for the commercetools Composable Commerce Projectrequired: true
See the following table for explanations of each attribute.
Key | Required | Description |
---|---|---|
deployAs | Yes | The root key of the file containing an array of the applications that we want to deploy in our Connector. In this file example, two applications named service_app_name and job_app_name are deployed. The name must match the folder for the application in your repository. |
name | Yes | Identifier of the application deployment. This is important as the deployment's output URL, topic, and schedule are fetched based on this reference. name has a maximum length of 256 characters and can only contain the letters A to Z in lowercase or uppercase, numbers, underscores (_ ), and the hyphen-minus (- ). |
applicationType | Yes | The type of application to deploy. Connectors currently support the following application types: service , event , job , merchant-center-custom-application , and assets . |
endpoint | Yes (service, job, event applications) | The endpoint naming used by the Deployment URL. The URL is constructed using the format {connect-provided-url}/{endpoint} (for example: https://service-11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111.europe-west1.gcp.commercetools.app/service ) endpoint can optionally start with / and has a maximum length of 256 characters containing the letters A to Z in lowercase or uppercase, numbers, underscores (_ ), and the hyphen-minus (- ). endpoint is not required if the applicationType is merchant-center-custom-application or assets . |
properties.schedule | Yes (job type applications) | This configuration is only required for job applications. As it will work as a cron job it is important to specify the execution schedule. |
scripts | No | Displays the configuration for the Connector's scripts. You will need this field if you need to create and use commercetools API Extensions and Subscriptions. |
configuration | No | An object of configurations to be used in the Connector as schema validation. This is an array containing standardConfiguration and securedConfiguration . |
After gaining an understanding of the required application types for the Connector and creating connect.yaml
, it is essential to adhere to a project structure that aligns with it.
Structure your project
In the context of Connect, each application is treated independently and it is necessary to isolate each application in a separate folder, as each one will be provisioned in a slightly different manner based on its application type.
Each folder must contain the value specified in the name
attribute.
Using the previous connect.yaml
example, we should have the following directory structure:
myconnector/├── service_app_name/│ └──src│ └── index.js│ ├── package-lock.json│ └── package.json├── job_app_name/│ └──src│ └── index.js│ ├── package-lock.json│ └── package.json└── connect.yaml
Choose an application type
Connect supports the following types of applications:
service
: perform specific actions using API Extensions or webhooks to other systems. A possible use case is to validate newly created resources, calculate custom shipping costs for a cart, and add mandatory items.event
: receive events and perform actions asynchronously using Subscriptions. You can use event applications to notify your customers after a successful payment or if a product is back in stock.job
: schedule tasks using cron expressions to run job applications on a periodic basis, such as updating a resource every minute, generating a nightly report, or sending an automated weekly email newsletter.merchant-center-custom-application
: create Custom Applications to extend the functionality of the Merchant Center.assets
: host static assets with CDN capabilities.
Implement Connect applications
Every application receives the necessary configuration as defined in connect.yaml
, which is provided through environment variables.
Additionally, each Connect application must ensure that it exposes an HTTP server at 8080, encompassing all the required integration endpoints, as in the following examples:
Service
import express, { Request, Response } from 'express';import bodyParser from 'body-parser';const app = express();app.use(bodyParser.json());app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true }));app.post('/service', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {const action = req.body;console.info('New action received', action);// handle business logicconst additionalActions = [];// build additional resource update actionres.status(200).json({ actions: additionalActions });});
Event
import express, { Request, Response } from 'express';import bodyParser from 'body-parser';const app = express();app.use(bodyParser.json());app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true }));app.post('/event', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {const event = req.body;console.info('New event received', event);// handle business logic// ex: notify user product back in stockres.status(200).send();});
Job
import express, { Request, Response } from 'express';import bodyParser from 'body-parser';const app = express();app.post('/job', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {const event = req.body;console.info('New event received', event);// handle business logic// ex: build report, send emailres.status(200).send();});
package.json
You must include the following scripts in package.json.
Name | Description |
---|---|
gcp-build | Automates the build process of the project to generate production-ready code. |
start | The entry point of the application, responsible for initializing the server listening on port 8080. |
"scripts": {"gcp-build": "tsc","start": "node build/index.js"}
Adding automation scripts
For automating configurations for Composable Commerce, for example, for Subscriptions or for creating Custom Types, see Adding automation scripts.
Testing your Connect application
It is mandatory to include tests for your Connect application. This is to ensure that your application codebase has a good level of quality to guarantee proper functionality and maintainability.
We recommend using a tool like Jest, which allows you to use multiple useful assertions and mocks, and gather code coverage.
// isInteger.jsconst isInteger = (value) => !isNaN(parseInt(value, 10));export { isInteger };
// __tests__/isInteger.spec.jsimport { isInteger } from './isInteger';describe('isInteger function', () => {test('it should check if value is an integer number', () => {expect(isInteger(-1)).toEqual(true);expect(isInteger(0)).toEqual(true);expect(isInteger(1).toEqual(true));expect(isInteger(1.5).toEqual(false));});});
npm testPASS __tests__/isInteger.spec.jsisInteger function✓ it should check if value is an integer number (2ms)Test Suites: 1 passed, 1 totalTests: 1 passed, 1 totalSnapshots: 0 totalTime: 0.764s, estimated 1s