Added ability to GET, PUT and POST to the Xero Payroll API

[gazzenger]

Thanks so much for this fantastic module.

I made a minor change so that a user can now also perform GET, POST and PUT commands to the Payroll API on Xero. This means users can now handle timesheets, payitems as well as many other features.

I've left support for the command xero.call, however I've added the following commands, xero.callAccounting() and xero.callPayroll()

These commands work the same way as xero.call, but allow distinguishing between Accounting API (which is what the current code does), and the Payroll API.

An example to get a list of timesheets would be, xero.callPayroll('GET', "/Timesheets", null, function (err, json) {...})

Let me know your thoughts on the additions,

Kind Regards, Gary

[presolve]

Thanks for doing this! I am half way through writing something to achieve the same thing and thought i should look! lol I had a look at your update and am wondering if there is there a reason you don't just just switch the XERO_API_URL value based on the 'path' received? That would save having to specify which endpoint you want to call and would be seemless (?). What you think?

[gazzenger]

Heya, The reason I haven't switched the XERO_API_URL on the value based on a path, was it simple when specifying either the Accounting or Payroll APIs. But I wanted to keep it backwards compatible with what you've written. I'm really happy for anything either way :)

[gazzenger]

Yep I think that looks good.

On Wed, Nov 23, 2016 at 2:55 PM, presolve [email protected] wrote:

Something like...

`var paths = { "accounting": ["/Contacts"], "payroll": ["/Employees"] }

function contains(a, obj) { for (var i = 0; i < a.length; i++) { if (a[i] === obj) { return true; } } return false; }

function Xero(key, secret, rsa_key, showXmlAttributes, customHeaders, version) { this.key = key; this.secret = secret;

this.parser = new xml2js.Parser({explicitArray: false, ignoreAttrs: showXmlAttributes !== undefined ? (showXmlAttributes ? false : true) : true, async: true});

this.oa = new oauth.OAuth(null, null, key, secret, '1.0', null, "PLAINTEXT", null, customHeaders); this.oa._signatureMethod = "RSA-SHA1" this.oa._createSignature = function(signatureBase, tokenSecret) { return crypto.createSign("RSA-SHA1").update(signatureBase).sign(rsa_key, output_format = "base64"); }

}

Xero.prototype.call = function(method, path, body, callback) { var self = this;

XERO_API_URL = XERO_BASE_URL + ((contains(paths.payroll,path)) ? ('/payroll.xro/1.0') : ('/api.xro/2.0'));

var post_body = null;`

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Gary T. Namestnik

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[presolve]

I'm a git n00b... sorry... I've made this patch which is working great for me now. It's dynamic and works for both US and AUS payroll paths. Any chance you could put this forward?

index.txt

.. just rename to index.js (not allowed to upload a .js file sorry)

[gazzenger]

Same here, I'll have a look at adding a new commit to my branch so hopefully you'll see it in the pull request. I might do it later this afternoon if that's alright.

[gazzenger]

Hey I've been looking over the code, and I noticed that you've got an array explicitly listing the URIs for using the payroll API,

var paths = {
    'payroll': [
        '/Employees',
        '/Leaveapplications',
        '/Payitems',
        ...

And then to determine if the user intends to use the payroll or accounting API, you check if the path is contained in the array paths.payroll.

XERO_API_URL = XERO_BASE_URL + ((contains(paths.payroll,path)) ? ('/payroll.xro/1.0') : ('/api.xro/2.0'));

Although this seems like a good method, I can spot that at least one URI has the same name in both the accounting and payroll API.

So you can have endpoints such as these:

https://api.xero.com/payroll.xro/1.0/employees 
https://api.xero.com/api.xro/2.0/employees

I'm thinking the best way to avoid this issue, could be to add an extra parameter when calling the xero module, and specify which API to use, maybe set the default to be accounting.

xero.call(method, **apiType**, path, body, callback)

Let me know your thoughts

[presolve]

Yep... I literally only 5 mins ago came across that! lol It's a bummer cos the Employees path is the ONLY one that exists in both endpoints and 99% of the time it's not even used (most people use the Employees Payroll endpoint). I originally started down the "mode" switch path so I'll just redo it with the switch instead. :) Thanks for reviewing!!

[presolve]

i'll learn git so i can push a patch i swear... but here's the update... now it'll work for all endpoints and you just specify the 'endpoint'.

Xero.prototype.call = function(method, endpoint, path, body, callback) {
    var self = this;
    switch (endpoint) {
        case 'accounting':
            endpoint = '/api.xro/2.0';
            break;
        case 'payroll':
            endpoint = '/payroll.xro/1.0';
            break;
        case 'assets':
            endpoint = '/assets.xro/1.0';
            break;
        case 'files':
            endpoint = '/files.xro/1.0';
            break;
        default:
            endpoint = '/api.xro/2.0';
    }
    XERO_API_URL = XERO_BASE_URL + endpoint;

So when you call it now you just

xero.call('GET', 'payroll', '/Employees', null, function(err, xeroEmployees) {...

What do you think? (complete file attached... just rename to index.js... :) index.txt

[gazzenger]

I love it, what're the assets and files endpoints used for?

[presolve]

Uploading files and such! :P https://developer.xero.com/documentation/files-api/files/

I think i'll start using this feature now that it's working! :D

[gazzenger]

Do you want me to do the updates in my branch?

[presolve]

if you wouldn't mind... that would be great. :)

[thallium205]

Whenever we feel ready I can get this change published to npm.

On Wed, Nov 23, 2016 at 7:20 PM, presolve [email protected] wrote:

if you wouldn't mind... that would be great. :)

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[presolve]

Sooner the better! I'm using it now and it's working great. :) Thanks heaps!!!

[gazzenger]

Sorry, I was out at lunch, let me update it in my branch (I think it'll automatically go through with the pull request)

[gazzenger]

Alrighty, it should all be updated now. See what you think

[gazzenger]

I've given the new module a whirl, and it works well

[presolve]

Same! Thanks heaps for your help @gazzenger And thanks @thallium205 for the module!!

[gazzenger]

@thallium205 The pull request is ready now

[thallium205]

The branch has got some conflicts and can't be merged. If you resolve I'll merge. Thanks!