• Introduction to API
• SP-Cart 2.0 architecture peculiarities
• Core methodology
• Addons
• Design and Layout
• SP-Cart architecture standards

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SP-Cart API Introduction

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SP-Cart API Introduction

What is API?

Abbreviation of application programming interface, a set of routines, protocols and tools for building software applications. A good API makes it easier to enhance and modify a program by providing all the building blocks. Most operating environments provide an API so that programmers can write applications consistent with the operating environment

 

SP-Cart API Overview

The SP-Cart API is a way to programmatically access and modify data without changing the source code. The API gives you the power to integrate your own addons and customizations into SP-Cart using new architecture tools (code and template hooks, pre- and postcontrollers and others). Through these tools you are able to add new functionality as well as replace or supplement the existing one.
All this greatly extends the possibilities for customization and allows you to have more flexibility and control over the upgrade process, as while upgrading to a new version there won't be any conflicts with the source code of the program.
The API is an advanced tool that should be used by someone with a deep technical understanding. However, most developers or IT specialist should be able to make use of the API in a matter of several hours.

 

Technology

In deciding what technology to use for our API, we researched a lot of different technologies. We wanted something that followed an industry standard and at the same time was easy to use. Finally we settled on powerful hooking techniques.
Hooking is a concept in computer programming dealing with control flow. The term hooking covers a range of techniques used to alter or augment the behavior of software components by intercepting function call or messages or events passed between software components.
Thanks to this technique, you just need to create an addon, hook it to the necessary part of code and, as a result, your addon will work without affecting the core functionality.