5 Replies Latest reply: Oct 25, 2013 8:46 AM by Phorden10 RSS

    Is LightSpeed API able to integrate with BC?

    Phorden10 Community Member
    Phorden10 Oct 23, 2013 12:16 PM

      I am looking for an inventory management solution for a client other than the built in spreadsheet way of adding/updating products. The client has over 2,500 products and their inventory changes daily. They already have this software, but I don't believe they have the cloud version of it which supports 3rd party API integration. Would someone look at this and see if this solution would be useable with BC? Thanks for any help in advance.

       

      LightSpeed Cloud: http://www.lightspeedretail.com/cloud/help/developers/

        • 1. Re: Is LightSpeed API able to integrate with BC?
          Liam Dilley CommunityMVP
          Liam Dilley Oct 23, 2013 2:15 PM (in response to Phorden10)

          IF what they have does not have API support then there is nothing you can do in that regard. They need to change to the one that does.

          • 2. Re: Is LightSpeed API able to integrate with BC?
            Phorden10 Community Member
            Phorden10 Oct 23, 2013 2:19 PM (in response to Liam Dilley)

            Let me clarify. I know that the cloud version has API support, but before I make a suggestion to the client to invest in the cloud version I would like to know if their API will work on BC hosting. I am not sure if they support JSONP which is what is needed for BC 3rd party API from what I understand. The LightSpeed support does not seem to know a whole lot about the API so they were of limited help.

            • 3. Re: Is LightSpeed API able to integrate with BC?
              Liam Dilley CommunityMVP
              Liam Dilley Oct 23, 2013 3:19 PM (in response to Phorden10)

              You will always need a middleware and you need to take that API data, form it into the SOAP structure BC needs and then submit that into BC. As long as it has API and is something that stays up to date you can work with it. You cant just hook one API to BC, does not work like that 

              • 4. Re: Is LightSpeed API able to integrate with BC?
                TheBCMan Community Member
                TheBCMan Oct 24, 2013 5:18 PM (in response to Phorden10)

                API's are generally to push and pull data from they can not function by themselves without you telling the API what you need or what you want to send to them. With that said you can't connect one API to another API it's just not something you can do.

                 

                But as Liam said you drop a piece of software or script in the middle that acts like an translator.

                 

                For example BC API speaks English and LightSpeed's API speaks German, you need something in the middle to take what BC says, format it into what LightSpeed can understand and vise versa.

                 

                In BC's case, BC uses XML SOAP and Lightspeed uses a REST interface.

                 

                This is a custom peice of software written for your task. Drop me a line if you are interested in getting something made for you.

                • 5. Re: Is LightSpeed API able to integrate with BC?
                  Phorden10 Community Member
                  Phorden10 Oct 25, 2013 8:46 AM (in response to TheBCMan)

                  Thanks for the info. I had read a couple of posts of people trying to do the same thing and they were saying that the LightSpeed API is a mess. I will take into consideration if this integration will be worth the time and effort.