Introducing Links
What is a Link?
RapidAPI consists of several API resources that enable you to create an end-to-end booking experience for your travelers. This means you'll use these resources in sequence to build complete transactions, such as shopping, price checking, booking, and managing bookings.
To streamline these multistep transactions, RapidAPI employs a powerful tool called Link.
A Link is a reference to a related resource, acting as a guide that directs developers to the next relevant API resource needed to seamlessly progress through the transaction.
By leveraging Links from previous operations within the Rapid SDK, developers can swiftly create and execute new operations, bypassing the typical setup process and significantly enhancing efficiency.
Note
This feature is available in the rapid-sdk v4.3.0 and later.
Why to use a Link?
Link is a convenient way to navigate through the Rapid API operations, without having to manually create the next operation. You can extract a Link from the response of the previous operation and use it to create the next operation.
A link will benefit you in the following ways:
- Saves time: You don't have to manually create the next operation by setting up the request parameters and the operation.
- Simplifies the process: You can easily navigate through the Rapid API operations by using the
Linkfrom the previous operation, without having to extract the needed information manually. - Reduces errors: By using the
Link, you can avoid errors that might occur when manually creating the next operation.
How to use a Link?
To get a Link, you need to extract it from the previous Operation response. Then, you can create the next Operation from the Link and execute it with the RapidClient.
For example, you can create a Link from the response of a GetAvailabilityOperation and use it in creating a PriceCheckOperation:
// 1. Create and execute the GetAvailabilityOperation (The first operation)
GetAvailabilityOperation getAvailabilityOperation = new GetAvailabilityOperation(getAvailabilityOperationParams);
Response<List<Property>> propertiesResponse = rapidClient.execute(getAvailabilityOperation);
// 2a. Select the needed property from the response (Here, we select the first property)
Property property = propertiesResponse.getData().get(0);
// 2b. Make sure the property is an instance of PropertyAvailability
if (!(property instanceof PropertyAvailability)) {
return;
}
PropertyAvailability propertyAvailability = (PropertyAvailability) property;
// 3a. Extract the priceCheck link from PropertyAvailability operation (Here, we select the first rate for the first room, then get the priceCheck link)
Link priceCheckLink = propertyAvailability.getRooms().get(0).getRates().get(0).getBedGroups().entrySet().stream().findFirst().get().getValue().getLinks().getPriceCheck();
// 3b. Create the needed context for the PriceCheckOperation
PriceCheckOperationContext priceCheckOperationContext = PriceCheckOperationContext.builder().customerIp("1.2.3.4").build(); // fill the context as needed
// 4. Create and execute the PriceCheckOperation using the Link
PriceCheckOperation priceCheckOperation = new PriceCheckOperation(priceCheckLink, priceCheckOperationContext);
Response<RoomPriceCheck> roomPriceCheckResponse = rapidClient.execute(priceCheckOperation);
// ...Another example would be to create a Link from the response of a PriceCheckOperation and use it in creating a booking.
// 1. Get the RoomPriceCheck from the previous step
RoomPriceCheck roomPriceCheck = roomPriceCheckResponse.getData(); // from the previous step
// 2a. Extract the Link from the RoomPriceCheck
Link postItineraryLink = roomPriceCheck.getLinks().getBook();
// 2b. Create the needed context for the PostItineraryOperation
PostItineraryOperationContext postItineraryOperationContext = PostItineraryOperationContext.builder().customerIp("1.2.3.4").build(); // fill the context as needed
// 2c. Create the CreateItineraryRequest
CreateItineraryRequest createItineraryRequest = CreateItineraryRequest.builder().build(); // fill the request as needed
// 3. Create and execute the PostItineraryOperation using the Link
PostItineraryOperation postItineraryOperation = new PostItineraryOperation(postItineraryLink, postItineraryOperationContext, createItineraryRequest);
// 4. Execute the PostItineraryOperation
Response<ItineraryCreation> itineraryCreationResponse = rapidClient.execute(postItineraryOperation);
ItineraryCreation itineraryCreation = itineraryCreationResponse.getData();For more examples on how to use Link, see the Usage Examples section.