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.

Example connect.yaml fileyaml
deployAs:
- name: service_app_name
applicationType: service
endpoint: /service
scripts:
postDeploy: npm run connector:post-deploy
preUndeploy: npm run connector:pre-undeploy
configuration:
standardConfiguration:
- key: CTP_PROJECT_KEY
description: Project key of the commercetools Composable Commerce Project
required: true
default: 'default-key'
securedConfiguration:
- key: CTP_CLIENT_ID
description: client_id of an API Client for the commercetools Composable Commerce Project
required: true
- name: job_app_name
applicationType: job
endpoint: /job
properties:
schedule: '*/5 * * * *'
configuration:
standardConfiguration:
- key: CTP_PROJECT_KEY
description: Project key of the commercetools Composable Commerce Project
required: true
securedConfiguration:
- key: CTP_CLIENT_ID
description: client_id of an API Client for the commercetools Composable Commerce Project
required: true

See the following table for explanations of each attribute.

KeyRequiredDescription
deployAsYesThe 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.
nameYesIdentifier 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 (-).
applicationTypeYesThe type of application to deploy. Connectors currently support the following application types: service, event, job, merchant-center-custom-application, and assets.
endpointYes (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.scheduleYes (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.
scriptsNoDisplays the configuration for the Connector's scripts. You will need this field if you need to create and use commercetools API Extensions and Subscriptions.
configurationNoAn 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 logic
const additionalActions = [];
// build additional resource update action
res.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 stock
res.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 email
res.status(200).send();
});

package.json

You must include the following scripts in package.json.

NameDescription
gcp-buildAutomates the build process of the project to generate production-ready code.
startThe 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.js
const isInteger = (value) => !isNaN(parseInt(value, 10));
export { isInteger };
// __tests__/isInteger.spec.js
import { 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 test
PASS __tests__/isInteger.spec.js
isInteger function
✓ it should check if value is an integer number (2ms)
Test Suites: 1 passed, 1 total
Tests: 1 passed, 1 total
Snapshots: 0 total
Time: 0.764s, estimated 1s