Authentication Guide

Overview

The Steadfast SDK uses API key and secret key authentication. Credentials can be provided via parameters or environment variables.

Getting Credentials

Log in to your Steadfast account
Navigate to API Settings
Generate API Key and Secret Key
Store them securely

Authentication Methods

Method 1: Direct Parameters

from steadfast import SteadfastClient

client = SteadfastClient(
    api_key="your_api_key",
    secret_key="your_secret_key"
)

Method 2: Environment Variables

Set environment variables:

export STEADFAST_API_KEY="your_api_key"
export STEADFAST_SECRET_KEY="your_secret_key"

Then initialize without parameters:

from steadfast import SteadfastClient

client = SteadfastClient()

Method 3: .env File

Create .env file in your project root:

STEADFAST_API_KEY=your_api_key
STEADFAST_SECRET_KEY=your_secret_key

Load with python-dotenv:

from dotenv import load_dotenv
from steadfast import SteadfastClient

load_dotenv()
client = SteadfastClient()

Configuration

Custom Base URL

from steadfast import SteadfastClient

client = SteadfastClient(
    api_key="your_api_key",
    secret_key="your_secret_key",
    base_url="https://custom.api.com"
)

Environment-Specific Configuration

import os
from steadfast import SteadfastClient

env = os.getenv("ENVIRONMENT", "production")

if env == "development":
    base_url = "https://dev.api.steadfast.io"
else:
    base_url = "https://api.steadfast.io"

client = SteadfastClient(
    api_key=os.getenv("STEADFAST_API_KEY"),
    secret_key=os.getenv("STEADFAST_SECRET_KEY"),
    base_url=base_url
)

Security Best Practices

1. Never Hardcode Credentials

❌ Bad:

client = SteadfastClient(
    api_key="abc123def456",
    secret_key="xyz789uvw012"
)

✅ Good:

import os
from steadfast import SteadfastClient

client = SteadfastClient(
    api_key=os.getenv("STEADFAST_API_KEY"),
    secret_key=os.getenv("STEADFAST_SECRET_KEY")
)

2. Use .env Files

Create .env file:

STEADFAST_API_KEY=your_api_key
STEADFAST_SECRET_KEY=your_secret_key

Add to .gitignore:

.env
.env.local
.env.*.local

3. Rotate Credentials Regularly

Change API keys periodically
Revoke old keys after rotation
Monitor key usage

4. Use Separate Keys for Different Environments

import os

if os.getenv("ENVIRONMENT") == "production":
    api_key = os.getenv("PROD_STEADFAST_API_KEY")
    secret_key = os.getenv("PROD_STEADFAST_SECRET_KEY")
else:
    api_key = os.getenv("DEV_STEADFAST_API_KEY")
    secret_key = os.getenv("DEV_STEADFAST_SECRET_KEY")

from steadfast import SteadfastClient
client = SteadfastClient(api_key=api_key, secret_key=secret_key)

5. Restrict Key Permissions

Use read-only keys where possible
Limit key scope to specific operations
Monitor key activity

Error Handling

Missing Credentials

from steadfast import SteadfastClient, ConfigurationError

try:
    client = SteadfastClient()  # No credentials provided
except ConfigurationError as e:
    print(f"Configuration error: {e}")
    # Set STEADFAST_API_KEY and STEADFAST_SECRET_KEY environment variables

Invalid Credentials

from steadfast import SteadfastClient, AuthenticationError

client = SteadfastClient(
    api_key="invalid_key",
    secret_key="invalid_secret"
)

try:
    order = client.orders.create(...)
except AuthenticationError as e:
    print(f"Authentication failed: {e}")
    # Check API key and secret key

Testing

Using Mock Credentials

import os
from unittest.mock import patch
from steadfast import SteadfastClient

# Mock environment variables
with patch.dict(os.environ, {
    "STEADFAST_API_KEY": "test_key",
    "STEADFAST_SECRET_KEY": "test_secret"
}):
    client = SteadfastClient()
    # Use client for testing

Using Test Credentials

from steadfast import SteadfastClient

# Use test/sandbox credentials
client = SteadfastClient(
    api_key="test_api_key",
    secret_key="test_secret_key",
    base_url="https://sandbox.api.steadfast.io"
)

Troubleshooting

“API key is required” Error

Cause: API key not provided or not found in environment

Solution:

Check environment variables are set
Verify .env file exists and is loaded
Pass api_key parameter directly

“Secret key is required” Error

Cause: Secret key not provided or not found in environment

Solution:

Check environment variables are set
Verify .env file exists and is loaded
Pass secret_key parameter directly

“Authentication failed” Error

Cause: Invalid API key or secret key

Solution:

Verify credentials are correct
Check credentials haven’t expired
Regenerate credentials if needed
Ensure using correct environment (dev/prod)

Example: Complete Setup

import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from steadfast import SteadfastClient, ConfigurationError

# Load environment variables
load_dotenv()

try:
    # Initialize client
    client = SteadfastClient(
        api_key=os.getenv("STEADFAST_API_KEY"),
        secret_key=os.getenv("STEADFAST_SECRET_KEY")
    )

    # Test connection
    balance = client.balance.get_current_balance()
    print(f"Connected! Balance: {balance.current_balance}")

except ConfigurationError as e:
    print(f"Configuration error: {e}")
    print("Please set STEADFAST_API_KEY and STEADFAST_SECRET_KEY")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Error: {e}")