# Python

## Setup

To be able to use TextFlow for sending an SMS or user verification, you first have to [register an account](https://textflow.me), after that you are going to get a free API key with two free SMS, which you can use to send SMS or verify user request anywhere in the world. 

After you have registered an account, your API key will be available on the [API console](https://textflow.me/api). 

After you have your API key, you need to install the `textflowsms` PyPi package:

```bash
pip install textflowsms
```

Next thing you have to do is just to load the library and supply your API key. 

```python
import textflowsms as tf

tf.useKey("YOUR_API_KEY");
```

## Sending an SMS

Once you have [initialized the library](#setup), you can easily send a simple SMS by using the `sendSMS` function. 

```python
tf.sendSMS("+11234567890", "Dummy message text...");
```

You can also handle the result of the function, which contains the information if the message was successfully sent.

```python
result = tf.sendSMS("+11234567890", "Dummy message text...")
if(result.ok):
  print(result.data)
else:
  print(result.message)
```

`result` is a Python object, with the following structure: 

```javascript
// Example result of a successfully sent message

{
  ok: true, // true if and only if the message was successfully sent
  status: 200,
  message: 'Message sent successfully',
  data: {
    to: '+11234567890',
    content: 'Dummy message text...',
    country_code: 'United States',
    price: 0.15,
    timestamp: 1676842652256
  }
}

// Example result of an unsuccessfully sent message

{ 
    ok: false, 
    status: 400, 
    message: 'Invalid API key or user id.' //This can be different for other errors
}
```

## User verification

There are two functions that you should call on your back-end during the user verification process, but firstly you should make sure that you have [set up everything correctly](#setup). 

`sendVerificationSMS` is used to send user the verification code, while the `verifyCode` is used to check if the code that the user has entered is valid. 

When you call the `sendVerificationSMS` function, we will send an SMS to the specified phone number. It should be the phone number that you want to verify, e.g. the phone number the user has entered in your app.

After sending the verification SMS, you can show the user a form where he should enter the verification code that he should have got in the SMS. When he submits the code, you should call the `verifyCode` function and supply his phone number (which he can send again when submitting the code) along with the code that you want verified.

That way, you do not have to worry about keeping data about phone verification in your database, because we are doing it for you. 

Here is the pseudocode for the whole process:

```python
# User has sent his phone number for verification
tf.sendVerificationSMS ("+11234567890", service_name, seconds);

# Show him the code submission form

# The user has submitted the code
result = tf.VerifyCode("+11234567890", user_entered_code);
# if `result.valid` is True, then the phone number is verified. 
```

`service_name` is what the user will see in the verification message, e. g. `"Your verification code for Guest is: CODE"`

`seconds` is how many seconds the code is valid. Default is 10 minutes. Maximum is one day.

Here are the example result objects of the `sendVerificationSMS` function:

```javascript
// Example result of a successfully sent verification code

{
  ok: true, // true if and only if the code was successfully sent
  status: 200,
  message: 'Verification SMS sent. ',
  data: {
    verification_code: '445180',
    expires: 1676901632181,
    message_text: 'Your verification code for My super cool app is:\n445180'
  }
}

// Example result of an unsuccessfully sent verification code

{ 
    ok: false, 
    status: 400, 
    message: 'Invalid API key or user id.' //This can be different for other errors
}
```

And here are the example result objects of the `verifyCode` function:

```javascript
// Example result of a verified code

{
  ok: true,
  valid: true, // true if and only if the phone number is verified
  status: 200,
  message: 'The code is valid. ',
  valid_code: '445180',
  expires: 1676901632181
}

// Failed to verify the code

{
  ok: true,
  valid: false
  status: 400,
  message: 'The code is invalid. ' //This can be different for other errors
}

// Another error

{
  ok: false,
  valid: false,
  status: 401,
  message: 'Invalid API key or user id.' //This can be different for other errors
}
```

## Getting help

If you need help installing or using the library, please check the [FAQ](https://textflow.me/api) first, and contact us at [support@textflow.me](mailto://support@textflow.me) if you don't find an answer to your question.

If you've found a bug in the API, package or would like new features added, you are also free to contact us!


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