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## Stripe Apps: Building and Managing Integrations

This documentation set provides comprehensive guidance on developing, deploying, and managing applications within the Stripe ecosystem using Stripe Apps. It covers everything from initial setup and authentication to UI development, distribution, and best practices.

### Core Concepts and Getting Started

*   **Stripe Apps Overview**: Understand the fundamental capabilities and purpose of Stripe Apps, which allow for extending Stripe with third-party services or embedding custom user interfaces directly into the Stripe Dashboard.
*   **Getting Started with Stripe Apps**: Learn the basics of app development, including building, previewing, and updating a sample "Hello, world!" app.
*   **How Stripe Apps Work**: Delve into the architecture of Stripe Apps, understanding their frontend and backend components and how they interact with the Stripe API.
*   **Common Use Cases**: Explore various scenarios for building Stripe Apps, categorized into backend, frontend, and full-stack applications.

### Building Your Stripe App

*   **App Manifest Reference**: Understand the `stripe-app.json` file, which describes how your app integrates with the Stripe platform, including fields, types, and descriptions.
*   **API Authentication Methods**: Choose and implement the appropriate authentication method for your app, including Platform keys, OAuth 2.0, and Restricted API Keys (RAKs).
    *   **OAuth 2.0**: Details on implementing the industry-standard OAuth 2.0 for secure user authentication.
    *   **Restricted API Key Authentication**: Learn how to use RAKs for more granular and secure API access.
*   **Authorization Flows**: Implement secure authorization flows, including PKCE OAuth workflows.
*   **Server-Side Logic**: Add backend code to your app to validate and process user actions and data, integrate with third-party systems, and handle webhooks.
*   **Build a UI**: Develop custom user interfaces within the Stripe Dashboard using React and Stripe's UI Extensions SDK.
    *   **How UI Extensions Work**: Understand the system for rendering your own UI within Stripe's products.
    *   **UI Components**: Explore the library of prebuilt UI components for building your app's interface, including:
        *   Layout and Structural Components: `Box`, `Inline`, `Stack`, `Container`, `Columns`, `Column`, `FullPageView`, `OverviewPage`
        *   Input Controls: `Button`, `ButtonGroup`, `Checkbox`, `DateField`, `Radio`, `Select`, `Switch`, `TextArea`, `TextField`, `SearchField`
        *   Information Display: `Accordion`, `Badge`, `Banner`, `Chip`, `Divider`, `Icon`, `Img`, `Link`, `List`, `Menu`, `Sparkline`, `Spinner`, `Toast`, `Tooltip`
        *   Data Visualization: `BarChart`, `LineChart`
        *   Data Presentation: `DataTable`, `DetailPageModule`, `DetailPagePropertyList`, `DetailPageTable`, `PropertyList`, `Table`
        *   Navigation and Flow: `ContextView`, `FocusView`, `OnboardingView`, `SettingsView`, `SignInView`, `Tabs`, `TaskList`, `FullPageTabs`
    *   **Next Generation UI Components**: Access early versions of upcoming UI components.
    *   **Component Hierarchy Constraints**: Understand rules governing component composition.
    *   **Design Patterns**: Follow recommended patterns for consistent and user-friendly app design.
        *   Action Buttons
        *   Additional Context
        *   Back Link
        *   Communicating State
        *   Demo Content
        *   Empty State
        *   Filter Controls
        *   Full Page Apps
        *   Lists
        *   Loading
        *   Onboarding Flow
        *   Progress Stepping
        *   Redirects
        *   Settings Sign In
        *   Sign In Template
        *   Sign Out
        *   Waiting Screens
    *   **Style Your App**: Learn how to style UI components using provided design tokens for visual consistency.
    *   **Design Your App**: Utilize design tools, guidelines, and philosophy for effective app design.
*   **App Settings Page**: Create a dedicated page for users to configure their app settings within the Stripe Dashboard.
*   **Store Secret Credentials and Tokens**: Securely persist sensitive data like authentication credentials using the Secret Store API.

### Testing and Deployment

*   **Enable Sandbox Support**: Configure your app for installation in Stripe's testing environments.
*   **Handle Different Modes**: Adapt your app to function correctly in both live mode and sandbox environments.
*   **Enable Local Network Access**: Allow your app to connect to local development servers during preview.
*   **Test Your App Externally**: Set up and distribute test versions of your app before public release.
*   **Upload and Install Your Stripe App**: Make your app available to team members or for broader distribution.
*   **Distribution Options**: Understand how to share your Stripe Apps, either privately or publicly on the Stripe App Marketplace.
*   **Publish Your App**: Learn the process of getting your app approved for the Stripe App Marketplace.
*   **Stripe Apps Quality Requirements**: Familiarize yourself with the qualitative requirements for apps listed on the App Marketplace.
*   **Manage Your App's Versions and Releases**: Implement app versioning strategies to manage changes over time.

### Migration and Legacy Integrations

*   **Migrate an Extension to Stripe Apps**: Understand why and how to migrate legacy extensions to the modern Stripe Apps platform.
*   **Migrate a Plugin to Stripe Apps or Stripe Connect**: Explore your options for migrating third-party integrations that previously relied on secret API keys.
    *   **Migrate a Plugin to an OAuth 2.0 App**: Specific guidance for migrating to OAuth 2.0 authentication.
    *   **Migrate a Plugin to a RAK App**: Specific guidance for migrating to Restricted API Key authentication.

### Developer Tools and References

*   **Stripe Apps CLI Reference**: Install and use the command-line interface to manage your Stripe app development.
*   **Extension SDK API Reference**: Documentation for the Extension SDK API, providing context props and utility functions for UI extensions.
*   **Permissions Reference**: Understand available events and their required permissions for your app.
*   **Viewports Reference**: Learn about the available viewports in the Stripe Dashboard where your app's views can appear.
*   **Route Descriptors**: Implement soft, context-preserving navigation within the Dashboard.
*   **UI Extension Developer Tools**: Utilize bundled tools for type checking, linting, and testing your app's code.
*   **Upgrade Stripe's UI Extension SDK**: Stay up-to-date with the latest SDK versions and manage breaking changes.
*   **Sample Apps**: Explore working examples of Stripe Apps to use as a starting point for your own development.
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