Trouble getting API key from the config.yaml (with suggested fix)

[jsowder]

I attempted to put my API key into my config.yaml so I wouldn't have to call it with every function, but I could not get the pp_query function to recognize it.

Currently the command to retrieve the API key from config.yml is:

myAPI_Key <- config::get('ProPublica')[[API]]

I set my key in config.yml using:

default:
 ProPublica:
   API: mykey123456789

But because R is calling [[API]] with API as an object rather than a string pp_query wouldn't recognize it. I can retrieve it if I change the command to:

config::get('ProPublica')[['API']]

Is this the best fix? Or am I missing a way to set the API object?

Thanks! Happy to fix it in pp_query if needed.

[jsowder]

Came to understand what the original method was doing! However, wrote a new method to allow for generic environment variables to be used instead.

• [x] Wrote the functionretrieve_key to search for the keys first in config.yml and then in the global environment. If not found, throws descriptive error outlining the two ways to set keys globally. New function here
• [x] Changed pp_query to call retrieve_key to search for the API when it isn't passed explicitly into pp_query. New pp_query.R here
• [x] Added retrieve_key.R to collate.
• [x] Added retrieve_key.R documentation and examples.

Here's the retrieve_key code for quick checking:

retrieve_key <- function(API = c('congress', 'campaign-finance')){
  if (!is.null(config::get('ProPublica')[[API]])) {
    myAPI_Key <- config::get('ProPublica')[[API]]
  } else if (API == 'congress' && !is.null(.GlobalEnv$key_congress)) {
    myAPI_Key <- .GlobalEnv$key_congress
  } else if (API == 'campaign-finance' && !is.null(.GlobalEnv$key_campaign_finance)) {
    myAPI_Key <- .GlobalEnv$key_campaign_finance
  } else {
    stop(
      "
      API key not found or is missing. 

      1. Set a variable 'key_congress' to your API 
      key for the Congress API, and/or a variable 
      'key_campaign_finance' to your API key for the 
      Campaign Finance API. For example:

      key_congress <- 'my_key_123' 
      key_campaign_finance <- 'my_other_key_123' 

      2. Alternatively, set the same two variables 
      in a file called config.yml (in your working
      directory or higher). These variables should
      be under 'ProPublica' and be named 'congress'
      and 'campaign-finance' respectively.

      3. Finally, you may just include the key as
      an argument to each of your functions.
      "
    )
  }
  return(myAPI_Key)
}