sked_a_donations.py

API_KEY = os.environ.get('FEC_API')
DONOR_URL = 'https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/schedules/schedule_a'

# for brevity, will skip the read-in-the-csv step
# `names` is a list of first initial/last name strings
# e.g. `J DOE`

# list of records to write out
data_out = []

for name in names:

    # set up the request parameters
    params = {
        'api_key': API_KEY,
        'contributor_name': name,
        'per_page': 100,
        'sort': 'contribution_receipt_date',
        'is_individual': True
    }

    # make the request
    current_response = requests.get(DONOR_URL, params=params)

    # throw an error if you get an invalid HTTP status code
    current_response.raise_for_status()

    # turn the response into json
    current_data = current_response.json()

    # get a handle to the records and pagination data for this chunk of results
    current_results = current_data['results']
    current_pagination = current_data['pagination']

    # this block will execute until the `break` statement is reached
    while True:

        # call the function to extract the data from this set of records
        # `get_data_from_raw_response` returns a smaller version of the
        #  donation record with some additional info about the committee
        for donation in current_results:
            data = get_data_from_raw_response(donation)
            data_out.append(data)

        # let us know what's up
        print(f'Nabbed {len(current_results)} records for search term "{name}"')

        # check to see if we're at the last page of results, which
        # doesn't have a `last_indexes` key
        last_index_object = current_pagination.get('last_indexes')

        # if we just processed the last page of results, we are done
        if not last_index_object:
            break
        else:
            # if not, keep trucking

            # ⭐️ this is where i'm having difficulty figuring out which
            # parameters to include in the next API call

            # check for two parameters to append to the next request
            last_index = last_index_object.get('last_index')
            last_contribution_receipt_date = last_index_object.get('last_contribution_receipt_date')

            # add `last_index` to the request parameters
            params['last_index'] = last_index

            # check if `last_contribution_receipt_date` exists
            if last_contribution_receipt_date:
                # if so, add to the params
                params['last_contribution_receipt_date'] = last_contribution_receipt_date
            else:
                # if not, set that value as null
                params['last_contribution_receipt_date'] = None

                # per Paul's email, add a new param for `sub_id`
                params['sub_id'] = f'>{last_index}'

                # API call fails unless you include this as well?
                params['sort_null_only'] = True

            # make the request and check for HTTP errors
            new_request = requests.get(DONOR_URL, params)
            new_request.raise_for_status()

            # turn the response into JSON
            new_data = new_request.json()

            # update the results and pagination values
            current_pagination = new_data['pagination']
            current_results = new_data['results']