Exact Online - Python - REST API

Recently I was asked to make a local application to import contacts from a CSV file to Exact Online. This should run automatically whenever a new CSV is available.
Python (2.7) is the language I wanted to use.
A library is available (https://github.com/ossobv/exactonline), but I needed some time to implement the OAuth2.
No real examples are available, so I decided to make a step by step tutorial.

Go to the Exact Online Developers site: https://www.exact.com/benl/developers
Click on "Exact Online Partners" to create a free account:

Now go to the App center and login: https://apps.exactonline.com/be/nl-BE/V2

At the top, right side, you can click on "Mijn Apps beheren" (Control my apps).
Now create a new "Test-App":

Give a name and set the Redirect URI to: https://app.getpostman.com/oauth2/callback (I will get back to this later on):

Click register and find the authorization data:

You need the "Client ID" and "Client Secret" later on.

Now you need to create an access token. You might be able to do this with your webserver, but I used another easy solution:
Install Postman on your computer: https://www.getpostman.com/
Create a new request:

Now choose "Authorization" -> type: "OAuth 2.0" -> "Get New Access Token":

Fill out the fields in the form. "Client ID" and "Client Secret" are the ones you created before. All other fields should be the same (unless you're not in Belgium: exactonline.be):

When you click "Request Token", you will be directed to the login screen of Exact Online. Use the developer credentials you created earlier:

Postman will show you the "Tokens" now:

The tokens will expire after one hour. You can make new ones if this should happen.

Now it's Python time. Install the ExactOnline library: pip install exactonline
We need to setup the configuration in the INI file. An example is included in the library:
exactonline/exactonline/storage/ini_example.ini

 [server]  
 auth_url = https://start.exactonline.co.uk/api/oauth2/auth  
 rest_url = https://start.exactonline.co.uk/api  
 token_url = https://start.exactonline.co.uk/api/oauth2/token  
   
 [application]  
 base_url = https://example.com  
 client_id = {12345678-abcd-1234-abcd-0123456789ab}  
 client_secret = ZZZ999xxx000  
 iteration_limit = 50  
   
 [transient]  
 access_expiry = 1426492503  
 access_token = dAfjGhB1k2tE2dkG12sd1Ff1A1fj2fH2Y1j1fKJl2f1sD1ON275zJNUy...  
 code = dAfj!hB1k2tE2dkG12sd1Ff1A1fj2fH2Y1j1fKJl2f1sD1ON275zJNUy...  
 division = 123456  
 refresh_token = SDFu!12SAah-un-56su-1fj2fH2Y1j1fKJl2f1sDfKJl2f1sD11FfUn1...  

I changed the server part to match the Belgian Exact Online:

 [server]  
 auth_url = https://start.exactonline.be/api/oauth2/auth  
 rest_url = https://start.exactonline.be/api  
 token_url = https://start.exactonline.be/api/oauth2/token  

In the "Application" part, mind the incorrect curly braces (client_id). I wasted some time looking for this error. Here is the correct way:

 [application]  
 base_url = https://app.getpostman.com/oauth2/callback  
 client_id = 5d999999-9999-9999-9999-999999999761  
 client_secret = vL********Ky  
 iteration_limit = 50  

And the last part. Put the access_token and the refresh_token inplace.
The division you can find by browsing to: https://start.exactonline.be/docs/XMLDivisions.aspx (Do this while you are logged in at Exact Online (https://start.exactonline.be).

 [transient]  
 access_token = gAAAAJ0Tfk9999999999999999999sOFJ6ESyLhWnTIlMvOvsHwJ-99999999999999999999wpw8q_UikFez3GcLVpiYPTLOQ12f6scck6O0h1Bk8TWSB1naDpNcEG9KtfIB9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999_H5YiUjK0zkmAEaXyGcbqxgYVBLtgReiS-elZEllm9tnI2iyeNiL8nGrlzRVyD9Ev6_ejqlfYKBopI1tb2lAndz54tNuaif3-r84CQ91N4LjvlLO6T8kg8AE9MB4RnSD4Z5R97QDVH2pQlmsRVmTC7jKTXaH4MH_B-89FxmZq7pp_d9GGg6-QBEYTRHWfoTJJfApZxPRGP9yjhYJTJf4fjf5MlQhOo3DlPNKO5gJQCy0_YNMwA688L0fnkyo16Hcj-Hp4wsMuPOiuBEcXQI4MH68idj58Z2DVt2w0dBNM_R8RbA3wJEQ_dowW6owLlJACOX8Dt_M1zcZzOnIlwg94Z4o9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999990YM  
 division = 425880  
 refresh_token = O4D999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999985liyY9HzVZ3w0lrgqhdjqwU-bDD-5NsNanWG_LDm3_jCW6sAhDXvpzlB8KGbKpTNEPgIFm9DwBFuHhocdTZ7Fzt4UHp-C4KmTRMM1s8v5v8BtcZfqbAKKV14mX9PoOahQ2E2GFhrs7h4cqESHHdvYLOdui3vzcndGsLLT3P-YJd52P4iTWtKmAi-l2t3NWKX3HQYSQGRXjQcS_dFeTV0ZH5L979UJ99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999GooQ  

Save this to "config.ini"

Everything should be allright now. Try following code (change the path to the ini file):

 from exactonline.api import ExactApi  
 from exactonline.exceptions import ObjectDoesNotExist  
 from exactonline.resource import GET, POST, PUT, DELETE  
 from exactonline.storage.ini import IniStorage  
   
 # Create a function to get the api with your own storage backend.  
 def get_api():  
   storage = IniStorage('c:/Python27/exact/config.ini')  
   return ExactApi(storage=storage)  
 api = get_api()  
   
 relations = api.relations.filter(top=100)  
 print(relations)  
   

This is the start. The ini file will be automatically refreshed with new tokens as they expire.

Whenever you need to use this in the client's production evironment, you can create the same tokens with their credentials. Also change the devision.

Drop me a line if you need more code.