[Help] working with an API for the first time

andylpsx

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I know what an API is and what they are used for and for an upcoming project I need to use one but I have been scouring the internet for weeks now with nothing to show. The basic idea for the project is as follows:

We have a website through our company that allows people to be annual board members for an annual fee. The company that host that website has everything set up to store order ID's names and such in a message area as soon as the payment clears. They have a web hook and and API ( https://newspringboard.firespring.com/docs/ ) which show how to do everything but I am still unable to figure it out. I haven't been around API's or ever really have had to use one. I know from a website that I used to send API request that I would need to have a web hook that would need to get the ID from all new orders and then formulate an API call using the ID from the web hook (I used Requestb.in to do all this) and then I would get back a Json object with the persons name and date (The only real information I need). With the Name It would be put onto a automatic certificate (GET method so we can generate the URLs automatically (only way I know how)). The date would be used to make sure that the certificate is still valid if they come back to check their name (there is a page that has a check name and when they type in their name it will check it against the name in the database and the date on which they registered). If they date is after the end of our year then it returns some sort of generic message asking them to renew or what not but if it works then it just generates the certificate no big deal (This part is done all we need is the information from the other web host to make it's way to our phpMyAdmin Database).

Now for what I need to do:

I need to create a webhook, no clue where to start with that part, and then create the API (on the same boat here). I think I can find a tutorial or information regarding parsing the JSON object and saving the name and date to the database. We are about to scrap this project if it seems like something we cannot get done but I came here for one last look. We want to make another X10 account for this company so not as to use the one I am on but we don't want to open the account till we know it's all working. I am testing it all VIA this account, I have got most the project working but not the Webhook/API part.

In summary, I really just need helping communicating with their host. Like I said, I am new to all this so I am sorry if this seems really "nooby". Any help or links to information that would help would be much appreciated.
 
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