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jwoods avatar image
jwoods asked webmagnets answered

developing "private" clover applications

I am interested in writing an application to integrate my wife's Clover POS system with her 3dCart online store. Specifically, I want to periodically pull orders from her PoS and decrement the associated inventory items in 3dCart. Further, I would like to refresh the inventory listing in the PoS system from 3dCart daily so that new items are picked up and quantities are refreshed.

I am not interested in writing and maintaining a full-blown Clover app. I have a full time job elsewhere and cannot provide support for other users. I want to put together a simple python application which runs on my own server and uses the REST interface for integrating.

Is it possible to write a "private" application not listed on your marketplace? Much of the information requested on your application template is cumbersome (specifically, support details, EULA, etc) and not necessary for what I need to do.

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4 Answers

jjone avatar image
jjone answered Mark Mullan Deactivated commented

You can check these Windows REST APIs to connect via USB or LAN,

https://docs.clover.com/build/getting...

Hope it helps

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mark avatar image mark commented ·

You should be able to use the REST apis to do what you need. All your wife needs to do is create an API Token from her merchant account and give you read/write privileges to whatever items you need to modify.

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jwoods avatar image jwoods commented ·

Yes, this is EXACTLY what I am trying to do. My concern is with the warning appearing on the page where the token is generated about continued use (beyond development) being a violation of the developer agreement, leading to possible termination of my account.

I am also concerned about the strong preference for OAuth over the token. Is the token a long term option or is it being deprecated?

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Mark Mullan avatar image Mark Mullan commented ·

Hi jwoods,

The API Token you've created through Setup->API Tokens is to be used for testing the Python app you're developing.

The Access Token is the production-equivalent version of the API Token, and is obtained through OAuth. You can learn about how to implement it here: https://docs.clover.com/build/oauth-2-0/

Hope this helps!

Mark

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jwoods avatar image jwoods commented ·

What I am trying to do is simple back-office work. I don't understand why Clover would require that I develop a full-blown application of my own, including providing information about my website (icon, screenshots, etc), an ssl cert, writing a "terms of service", providing support contact information, and developing my own back end framework to process the OAuth token conversion. For what I need done - reading orders and updating inventory for my own personal account - this is absurd.

Most online services - including Amazon - offer a supported mechanism for this sort of service.

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Bryanne Vega avatar image
Bryanne Vega answered

You can become a clover developer, then build your app under your wife's merchant account. Just don't publish it, it'll be private and you're not required to do policies or provide support.

Regarding the token or code:

If anyone gets your code, that's trouble, it's of best practice to have your app "challange" or "exchange" the code for a token using the REST API. Remember tokens have a year life span.

For more info about exchanging the code: https://docs.clover.com/build/oauth-2-0/#process-authorization-code

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jwoods avatar image
jwoods answered

I've taken the approach suggested by @mark (eg, using an API token created in the store through Setup->API Tokens).

The warning on the page where the API token is generated is still strongly worded and not entirely clear, though I think I am meeting its spirit. If anyone from Clover reads this and is interested in clarifying the warning (reproduced below), it would be GREATLY appreciated:

  Requirements

  We REQUIRE developers to create apps on the Clover Developer Dashboard and use OAuth to generate API tokens programmatically. API Tokens are not supported for use across merchant sets. Misuse is against our terms of service and will result in termination of the developer's account.

It is also not clear about how often the token needs to be regenerated/rotated since the use of API tokens is largely undocumented.

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webmagnets avatar image
webmagnets answered
We you able to successfully create a private app for your wife? @jwoods
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