Webservices
For connections to webservice applications we need to configure authentication. This is done in the Webservices section of the Setup Tab.
Setup > Webservices
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)
JSON is a standard data format used to transmit data between a server and web application, and has become the de facto data format used to communicate with a lot of webservices; rapidly replacing Xml.
JSON is a human-readable text format consisting of three primary constructs: key-value pairs, objects and arrays.
Key-Value Pairs
The most fundamental element of JSON is the key-value pair or property, providing the means to associate a value with a name. The value can either be a base type such as a string, an integer, or Boolean (true/false) value, or it can be a complex type such as an object or array. The key value pair is represented by the key or property name, optionally in quote marks, following by a colon, followed by the value.
The following are examples of key-value pairs for base types:
name : “text value”
integerproperty : 5
booleanproperty : true
dateproperty : ‘2015-01-21T12:10:20.000Z’
Objects
An object is a collection of unordered key-value pairs where the is enclosed in curly braces. Objects may be nested within inner other objects.
The following examples shows an object with a nested customer object.
{
"order_number": "1028",
"token": "3b26b5ecd992012ac7a5e609f2d3379e",
"customer": {
"email": "[email protected]",
"first_name": "Terry",
"last_name": "Henry"
}
"site": "FR011",
"shopifyid": 126627282
}
Arrays
The array provides the means to associate multiple values with a name. Values can either be base types or objects. An array is denoted by enclosing the values with square brackets, where each value is separated by a comma.
An example of an array filled with text types:
email_addresses: ["[email protected]", "[email protected]"]
An example of an array with object types:
people : [
{ "name": "John Doe", "age": 29 },
{ "name": "Anna Smith", "age": 24 },
{ "name": "Peter Jones", "age": 39 }
]