Overview

This specification covers how third parties can interface to the PRODOCOM HTTP API. It should be noted that the same specifications now run try for the SFTP API. For details on the SFTP connection, please contact your PRODOCOM representative.

The API covers connection and transferring of data using HTTP and HTTPS POST as well as dropping XML files off to the PRODOCOM SFTP server, to send a message and make a request to pick up reports of message delivery.

This document assumes that an account already exists with PRODOCOM and with it valid userid’s to be associated with the message delivery. Each Client will need their own username and password.

Although authentication and requested action actually happen at the same time, the first step in the process is to make a connection and authenticate the user. Once this has been achieved a message can be sent and verified that it has been received. A subsequent action is required to again authenticate and retrieve a report once the message has been delivered.

All HTTP POST activity is initiated by the client. PRODOCOM’s API simply responds and actions requests from clients. However in the case of inbound SMS and Fax messages, PRODOCOM can post them on reciept to a URL. Please contact your PRODOCOM representative for more information on this service.

In the case of using HTTP and HTTPS POST, you need to connect to api.prodocom.com.au/xmlapi/3/ on port 80. POST data must be transferred in valid XML format, which will always include;

        POST /xmlapi/3/ HTTP/1.1
        Host: api.prodocom.com.au
        Content-length: length of XML
        Connection: close

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

Where;
• Host is the supplied URL and content length is the number of characters in the communication.
• Content- length needs to be exactly the number of characters in the XML request
• Only use UTF-8 encoding of XML data
• Please note the double line break between the HTTP headers and XML data
• ALL DATES ARE RECORDED/REPORTED IN GMT

Where the data is transferred using SFTP we use teh same XML code starting with

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

The syntax for data transferred is XML style using < and > symbols. The action must be denoted by a start and an end command, the end command including a / in the < and > symbols. For example

<action>login</action>

The above denotes an action to log in to the PRODOCOM web site.

The XML portion of the message must start with an <api_request> and end with a </api_request>. In all connections a <username>, a <password> and <action> are required. These must match those stored on the PRODOCOM system for the request to be valid. Connections are not interactive, so there will be no notification of a failed login until all data has been transferred.