--- myst: html_meta: "description": "" "property=og:description": "" "property=og:title": "" "keywords": "" --- # Plone REST API ````{sidebar} Get the code! Get the code for this chapter ({doc}`More info `): ```shell git checkout restapi ``` ```` In this chapter, we will have a look at the {doc}`plone6docs:plone.restapi/docs/source/index`, which is a core package as of Plone 5.2. It provides a hypermedia API to access Plone content using REST (Representational State Transfer). We will use {py:mod}`plone.restapi` to develop a small standalone 'single page app' targeted at mobile devices. We will present our users with a simple list of conference talks. We add lightning talks as a new type of talk. Users will be able to submit lightning talks e.g. using their mobile phone. We have the following tasks: - create a talk list view - create a login screen and use JWT for authentication/authorization of requests - let authenticated users submit lightning talks ## Installing plone.restapi We install {py:mod}`plone.restapi` like any other add-on package by adding it to {file}`buildout.cfg` and then activating it in the {guilabel}`Add-ons` panel. This will automatically add and configure a new PAS plugin named `jwt_auth` used for JSON web token authentication. ## Explore the API Make sure you add some talks to the talks folder and then start exploring the API. We recommend using [Postman](https://www.postman.com) or a similar tool, but you can also use [requests](https://pypi.org/project/requests) in a Python virtual env. {py:mod}`plone.restapi` uses 'content negotiation' to determine whether a client wants a REST API response - if you set the `Accept` HTTP header to `application/json`, Plone will provide responses in JSON format. Some requests you could try: ```http GET /Plone/talks HTTP/1.1 Accept: application/json ``` ```http POST /@login HTTP/1.1 Accept: application/json Content-Type: application/json { "login": "admin", "password": "admin" } ``` ### Exercise REST APIs use HTTP verbs for manipulating content. `PATCH` is used to update an existing resource. Add a new talk in Plone and then update it's title to match 'Foo 42' using the REST API (from Postman or requests). ````{dropdown} Solution :animate: fade-in-slide-down :icon: question We need to login to change content. Using JWT, we do so by POSTing credentials to the `@login` resource to obtain a JSON web token that we can subsequently use to authorize requests. ```http POST /@login HTTP/1.1 Accept: application/json Content-Type: application/json { "login": "admin", "password": "admin" } ``` The response will look like this: ```json { "token": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmdWxsbmFtZSI6bnVsbCwic3ViIjoiYWRtaW4iLCJleHAiOjE0NzQ5MTU4Mzh9.s27se99V7leTVTo26N_pbYskebR28W5NS87Fb7zowNk" } ``` Using the {py:mod}`requests` library from Python, you would do: ```python >>> import requests >>> response = requests.post('http://localhost:8080/Plone/@login', ... headers={'Accept': 'application/json', 'Content-Type': 'application/json'}, ... data='{"login": "admin", "password": "admin"}') >>> response.status_code 200 >>> response.json() {'token': 'eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmdWxsbmFtZSI6bnVsbCwic3ViIjoiYWRtaW4iLCJleHAiOjE0NzQ5MTYyNzR9.zx8XJb6SCWB2taxyibLZ2461ibDloqU3QbWDkDzT8PY'} >>> ``` Now we can change the talk title: ```http PATCH /Plone/talks/example-talk HTTP/1.1 Accept: application/json Content-Type: application/json Authentication: Bearer eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmdWxsbmFtZSI6bnVsbCwic3ViIjoiYWRtaW4iLCJleHAiOjE0NzQ5MTYyNzR9.zx8XJb6SCWB2taxyibLZ2461ibDloqU3QbWDkDzT8PY { "@id": "http://localhost:8080/Plone/talks/example-talk", "title": "Foo 42" } ``` Using {py:mod}`requests` again: ```python >>> requests.patch('http://localhost:8080/Plone/talks/example-talk', ... headers={'Accept': 'application/json', 'Content-Type': 'application/json', 'Authorization': 'Bearer eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmdWxsbmFtZSI6bnVsbCwic3ViIjoiYWRtaW4iLCJleHAiOjE0NzQ5MTYyNzR9.zx8XJb6SCWB2taxyibLZ2461ibDloqU3QbWDkDzT8PY'}, ... data='{"@id":"http://localhost:8080/Plone/talks/example-talk", "title":"Foo 42"}') ``` ```` ## Implementing the talklist We will use [Vue.js](https://vuejs.org/) to develop our app. This is a relatively lightweight JavaScript framework for developing hybrid web apps. A big advantage of Vue.js over other frameworks for our purpose is that it doesn't require NodeJS.. Our focus is Plone and interacting with {py:mod}`plone.restapi`, and `Vue.js` perfectly suits our needs because it simply lets us use Plone as our development webserver. To get started, we create a new subdirectory of {file}`browser` named {file}`talklist`. Assuming the current working directory is the buildout directory: ```shell mkdir src/ploneconf.site/src/ploneconf/site/browser/talklist ``` Then we add a new resource directory to {file}`browser/configure.zcml`: ```xml ``` In the {file}`browser/talklist` directory, we add an HTML page called {file}`index.html`: ```html List Of Talks

List of talks

{{ item.type }}: {{ item.title }} by {{ item.speaker }} {{item.details}}
``` Now you can point your browser to to see the result. The page will display a list of published talks. We also need some JavaScript that we put into a file named {file}`talklist.js` in the same folder: ```javascript "use strict"; var app = new Vue({ el: "#talklist", data: { items: [], userid: "", passwd: "", subject: "", summary: "", }, methods: { load_talks: function () { this.$http .get("/Plone/talks", { headers: { Accept: "application/json" } }) .then( function (response) { this.items = []; // get the paths of the talks var paths = []; for (var i = 0; i < response.data.items_total; i++) { paths.push(response.data.items[i]["@id"]); } // next get details for each talk for (var i = 0; i < paths.length; i++) { this.$http .get(paths[i], { headers: { Accept: "application/json" } }) .then( function (resp) { var talkdata = resp.data; var path = talkdata["@id"]; var talk = { pos: paths.indexOf(path), path: path, title: talkdata.title, type: talkdata.type_of_talk, speaker: talkdata.speaker != null ? talkdata.speaker : talkdata.creators[0], start: talkdata.start, subjects: talkdata.subjects, details: talkdata.details != null ? talkdata.details.data : talkdata.description, }; this.items.push(talk); }, function (error) {} ); } }, function (error) { this.items = []; } ); }, }, mounted: function () { // initialize this.load_talks(); }, }); ``` ## Submit lightning talks We add a new type of talk: lightning talk. A lightning talk is a short presentation of up to 5 minutes duration that can cover just about any topic. The information we need to provide for lightning talks is far less than for the more formal types of talk. Often the information provided for lightning talks is restricted to the talk subject or title and the speaker name, but we allow for a short summary. Before they can submit a lightning talk, potential speakers will need to login and we will use their previously registered login name as the speaker's name to display in the talk list. Before we can start to submit lightning talks using REST calls from our single page app, we have to adapt the talk schema: ```{code-block} xml :emphasize-lines: 18, 25, 52, 57 :linenos: Type of talk Talk Training Keynote Lightning Talk Add a short description of the talk (max. 2000 characters) 2000 Details False Audience Beginner Advanced Professionals False Room ploneconf.site.vocabularies.Rooms Name (or names) of the speaker Speaker False Adress of the speaker Email False False Image 1000 False Speaker Biography ``` Next, in our JavaScript code, we provide a method for logging in a user and another one to check whether the user has a valid JSON web token. We use the `localStorage` facility of the browser to store the token on the client. ```{code-block} javascript :emphasize-lines: 3-21 ... methods: { login: function(userid, passwd) { this.userid = ''; this.passwd = ''; this.$http.post('/Plone/@login', {'login': userid, 'password': passwd}, {headers: {'Content-type':'application/json', 'Accept':'application/json'}}). then(function(data, status, headers, config){ localStorage.setItem('jwtoken', data.token); }, function(error){ alert('Could not log you in'); }); }, is_logged_in: function() { // we assume the user is logged in when he has a JWT token (that is naive) return localStorage.getItem('jwtoken') != null; }, ... ``` We continue with changes to {file}`index.html` so that it uses the new methods. We provide a login form if the user doesn't have a valid JSON web token. Only authenticated users can see the rest of the page. ```{code-block} html :emphasize-lines: 3-18
Login
``` Last we have to add some code that allows authenticated users to submit a lightning talk. We add another JavaScript method first: ```javascript ... submit_talk: function(subject, summary) { this.$http.post('/Plone/talks', {'@type':'talk', 'type_of_talk':'Lightning Talk', 'audience':['Beginner','Advanced','Professionals'], 'title':subject, 'description':summary}, {headers: {'Content-type':'application/json', 'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + localStorage.getItem('jwtoken'), 'Accept':'application/json'}}). then(function(response){ if(response.status === 201) { // created this.load_talks(); } }, function(error){ // according to docs, status can be 400 or 500 // we check wether the token has expired - in this case, // we remove it from localStorage and disply the login page. // In all other cases, we display the message received // from Plone if ( (error.status == 400) && (error.data.type == 'ExpiredSignatureError') ) { localStorage.removeItem('jwtoken'); location.reload(); } else { // reason/error msg is contained in response body alert(error.message); } }); }, ... ``` ## Exercise Rewrite the `load_talks()` JavaScript method that it uses the portal search instead of `/Plone/talks`. Sort the list by date. ````{dropdown} Solution :animate: fade-in-slide-down :icon: question ```{code-block} javascript :emphasize-lines: 3 ... $scope.load_talks = function() { this.$http.get('/Plone/@search?portal_type=talk&sort_on=Date', {headers:{'Accept':'application/json'}}). then(function(response) { ... }); ``` ````