API Application

TP Kelly 1 Reputation point
2021-09-02T16:10:45.237+00:00

Hi, I'm an Office Manager delegated the job of researching about API for system integration; meaning I don't know anything about programming.

Background: We are a recruitment company currently using a self-developed system for internal use, written using Python. We would like to integrate our system with Outlook mainly for:

  1. Email synchronisation - sending email through our system to keep a history of email exchange within our system, and to track recruiter KPI
  2. Calendar synchronisation - setting up interviews through our system and syncing it with Outlook calendars

For some reason our current developer cannot advise on this. Therefore here I am, wondering if it's possible to do this integration and what the procedure is.

Any guidance or pointer will be appreciated! Thanks.

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  1. Sam of Simple Samples 5,516 Reputation points
    2021-09-02T18:39:13.903+00:00

    Perhaps the best advice for a manager would be to start with a requirements definition that is as complete and accurate as possible. By definition of what a requirements definition is, you, a non-programmer, can do that. Software people have been developing and writing about such things for as long as computers have been around; there are very many books. I do not know what to suggest, especially not for a manager.

    Think of a requirements definition as being much like the instructions that would be developed after the system is written. The non-technical description of what the software does is likely to be a good requirements definition. A requirements definition should describe the screens (forms or whatever) as well as the data processed. Describe in non-technical terms how the data is processed.

    Only after you have the requirements defined can you proceed to design the system to do it. Otherwise you can waste money developing something that does not work. Software people are very familiar with that.

    The article 10 Requirements Traps to Avoid is interesting. It does not explain what requirements definitions are.

    If the Python developer is unable to do the required integration then you probably need to hire a developer that can, either as an employee or a consultant. It will probably be better to develop the software using C#. The Python developer might feel threatened. If the Python system is not documented well then this is why management should insist on documentation. Developers often do not want to do documentation and management often does not want to pay for it (pay for the additional time).

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  2. WayneAKing 4,921 Reputation points
    2021-09-03T20:20:23+00:00

    Since you appear to be looking to use/leverage
    the existing Python application(s), you might
    seek guidance in a Python forum.

    https://discuss.python.org/

    Users
    https://discuss.python.org/c/users/7

    Python Forum
    https://python-forum.io/

    • Wayne