Get and set your openFDA API keys

Usage

set_api_key(api_key, user = "openFDA")

get_api_key(user = "openFDA")

Arguments

api_key: A single-length character vector with your openFDA API key. Do not pass the key in as a parameter in your scripts, though: see the 'Setting an openFDA API key' section below for more information. You can generate an API key on the FDA website.
user: A single-length character vector, used as the username argument in keyring::key_set() and keyring::key_get(), respectively. The default is "openFDA". Supply a custom value to this argument if for some reason you want to store multiple API keys (though note that the API restricts the number of requests on a per-IP address basis, as well as on a per-key basis).

Value

For set_api_key(), returns NULL invisibly. The function is called for its side effect: to store the openFDA API key securely using keyring::key_set().

For get_api_key(), returns the API key as a single string. An error will be thrown if no key is found or if the returned key is an empty string ("").

Setting an openFDA API key

API keys are the sort of thing that should be stored securely. For that reason, set_api_key() and get_api_key() utilise the keyring package for storing/retrieving the API key. It is best practice not to set your API key by passing it directly to set_api_key(), or you risk exposing it either in your scripts or in .Rhistory.

Instead, start an interactive R session and run set_api_key(). R will prompt you to enter your API key, which will then be stored for future use without logging the key somewhere unsecure.

As for the key itself? It will be stored securely using keyring::key_set(). Once set on a machine, you shouldn't need to run set_api_key() again.

Creating a new keyring

If your current keyring backend supports named keyrings, then when using set_api_key() for the first time you will be prompted to create a new keyring called "openFDA" using keyring::keyring_create().

When asked to do this, you will need to enter a password which can be used to 'lock' and 'unlock' this new keyring (see keyring::keyring_lock() for details). However, you shouldn't need to use this password in the future, as the keyring will remain unlocked unless you use keyring::keyring_lock() to lock the "openFDA" keyring.

Examples

#> Warning: Selecting ‘env’ backend. Secrets are stored in environment variables
#> Warning: Selecting ‘env’ backend. Secrets are stored in environment variables
# Set your openFDA API key with `set_api_key()`
api_key <- "example_api_key"
set_api_key(api_key)
#> Warning: Selecting ‘env’ backend. Secrets are stored in environment variables
#> Warning: Selecting ‘env’ backend. Secrets are stored in environment variables
#> ! OpenFDA API key set.
#> ℹ You can retrieve the key with the following code:
#>   `keyring::key_get(service = "OPENFDA_KEY", user = "openFDA")`

# Retrieve it with `get_api_key()`
get_api_key()
#> Warning: Selecting ‘env’ backend. Secrets are stored in environment variables
#> Warning: Selecting ‘env’ backend. Secrets are stored in environment variables
#> [1] "example_api_key"

# An error will be thrown you try to set your API key to an empty string.
try(set_api_key(""))
#> Error in set_api_key("") : 
#>   ! If providing `api_key`, it must not be an empty string ("\"\"")