8.2 Create a Developer Account
The
first thing you need to do to access
the PayPal API is set up a developer account at PayPal
Developer Central.
It's simple, and best of all, it's
free. There is a wealth of information on the Developer Central site,
including:
Sample code provided by PayPal that demonstrates most of the API A moderated forum where you can ask (and receive answers to) common
or obscure API-related questions The PayPal Sandbox [Hack #87], a
test area in which you can run merchant transactions without using
actual funds
PayPal Developer Central is located at https://developer.paypal.com. To create a
developer account, click the registration link and enter basic
information about yourself, such as your name, company, email
address, as well as some optional profile questions.
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After completing the sign-up form, an email will be sent only once to
the email account you specify. Click the email link to activate your
account. Make sure you don't lose this email,
because if you do, you will not be able to register again with the
same email address.
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When you're finished, you will be registered as a
developer, at which point you'll be able to log into
PayPal Developer Central, as shown in Figure 8-1.
Developer Central is divided into five areas:
- The Sandbox
-
Create test user accounts and test your
code [Hack #87] .
- Test Certificates
-
Create and keep track of your SSL certificates
[Hack #87] .
- Email
-
Manage pseudo-email messages sent from the Sandbox.
- Forums
-
Ask questions and discuss the API with other developers in a
user-to-user forum moderated by PayPal developers.
- Help Center
-
How-tos, sample code, and links to other forums (e.g., eBay and
PayPal general forums).
Now that your developer account is set up, it's time
to have some fun in the Sandbox.
—Rob Conery and Dave Nielsen
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