REST API /discussion create payload

ivy-rew

Hi,

I'm trying to create new discussions in our flarum (v1.2.0) via REST-api. It looks as if I'm able to read existing discussions via GET request to /api/discussions
However, I can't find any documentation on what to send to the api/discussions resource, besides the accepted method (POST).

Now if I try to send a json with 'data' array: I get back a 500 error.
curl -X POST -v -H "${authHeader}" ${flBase}/discussions -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d "${writeJson}"
my payload looks like this

{
    "data": [
        {
            "type": "posts",
            "attributes": {
                "number": 1,
                "title": "api writer",
                "createdAt": "2020-03-09T14:35:59+00:00",
                "contentType": "comment",
                "contentHtml": "hi from API",
            }
        }
    ]
}

In the flarum logs I get this output:

[2022-01-28 15:26:14] flarum.ERROR: TypeError: array_key_exists(): Argument #2 ($array) must be of type array, null given in vendor/flarum/subscriptions/src/Listener/SaveSubscriptionToDatabase.php:21
Stack trace:
vendor/flarum/subscriptions/src/Listener/SaveSubscriptionToDatabase.php(21): array_key_exists('subscription', NULL)
vendor/illuminate/events/Dispatcher.php(424): Flarum\Subscriptions\Listener\SaveSubscriptionToDatabase->handle(Object(Flarum\Discussion\Event\Saving))
vendor/illuminate/events/Dispatcher.php(249): Illuminate\Events\Dispatcher->Illuminate\Events\{closure}('Flarum\\Discussi...', Array)
vendor/flarum/core/src/Discussion/Command/StartDiscussionHandler.php(71): Illuminate\Events\Dispatcher->dispatch('Flarum\\Discussi...')
vendor/illuminate/bus/Dispatcher.php(122): Flarum\Discussion\Command\StartDiscussionHandler->handle(Object(Flarum\Discussion\Command\StartDiscussion))
vendor/illuminate/pipeline/Pipeline.php(128): Illuminate\Bus\Dispatcher->Illuminate\Bus\{closure}(Object(Flarum\Discussion\Command\StartDiscussion))
vendor/illuminate/pipeline/Pipeline.php(103): Illuminate\Pipeline\Pipeline->Illuminate\Pipeline\{closure}(Object(Flarum\Discussion\Command\StartDiscussion))
vendor/illuminate/bus/Dispatcher.php(132): Illuminate\Pipeline\Pipeline->then(Object(Closure))
vendor/illuminate/bus/Dispatcher.php(78): Illuminate\Bus\Dispatcher->dispatchNow(Object(Flarum\Discussion\Command\StartDiscussion))
vendor/flarum/core/src/Api/Controller/CreateDiscussionController.php(62): Illuminate\Bus\Dispatcher->dispatch(Object(Flarum\Discussion\Command\StartDiscussion))
/vendor/flarum/core/src/Api/Controller/AbstractSerializeController.php(115): Flarum\Api\Controller\CreateDiscussionController->data(Object(Laminas\Diactoros\ServerRequest), Object(Tobscure\JsonApi\Document))
/vendor/flarum/core/src/Api/Controller/AbstractCreateController.php(22): Flarum\Api\Controller\AbstractSerializeController->handle(Object(Laminas\Diactoros\ServerRequest))
/vendor/flarum/core/src/Http/RouteHandlerFactory.php(41): Flarum\Api\Controller\AbstractCreateController->handle(Object(Laminas\Diactoros\ServerRequest))
/vendor/flarum/core/src/Http/Middleware/ExecuteRoute.php(27): Flarum\Http\RouteHandlerFactory->Flarum\Http\{closure}(Object(Laminas\Diactoros\ServerRequest), Array)
/vendor/laminas/laminas-stratigility/src/Next.php(51): Flarum\Http\Middleware\ExecuteRoute->process(Object(Laminas\Diactoros\ServerRequest), Object(Closure))
/vendor/flarum/core/src/Api/Middleware/ThrottleApi.php(33): Laminas\Stratigility\Next->handle(Object(Laminas\Diactoros\ServerRequest))
/vendor/laminas/laminas-stratigility/src/Next.php(51): Flarum\Api\Middleware\ThrottleApi->process(Object(Laminas\Diactoros\ServerRequest), Object(Laminas\Stratigility\Next))
/vendor/flarum/core/src/Http/Middleware/CheckCsrfToken.php(40): Laminas\Stratigility\Next->handle(Object(Laminas\Diactoros\ServerRequest))
/vendor/laminas/laminas-stratigility/src/Next.php(51): Flarum\Http\Middleware\CheckCsrfToken->process(Object(Laminas\Diactoros\ServerRequest), Object(Laminas\Stratigility\Next))
/vendor/flarum/core/src/Http/Middleware/ResolveRoute.php(67): Laminas\Stratigility\Next->handle(Object(Laminas\Diactoros\ServerRequest))
/vendor/laminas/laminas-stratigility/src/Next.php(51): Flarum\Http\Middleware\ResolveRoute->process(Object(Laminas\Diactoros\ServerRequest), Object(Laminas\Stratigility\Next))
/vendor/flarum/core/src/Http/Middleware/SetLocale.php(51): Laminas\Stratigility\Next->handle(Object(Laminas\Diactoros\ServerRequest))
/vendor/laminas/laminas-stratigility/src/Next.php(51): Flarum\Http\Middleware\SetLocale->process(Object(Laminas\Diactoros\ServerRequest), Object(Laminas\Stratigility\Next))
/vendor/flarum/core/src/Http/Middleware/AuthenticateWithHeader.php(58): Laminas\Stratigility\Next->handle(Object(Laminas\Diactoros\ServerRequest))
/vendor/laminas/laminas-stratigility/src/Next.php(51): Flarum\Http\Middleware\AuthenticateWithHeader->process(Object(Laminas\Diactoros\ServerRequest), Object(Laminas\Stratigility\Next))

Do you have any hints or docs on a valid payload to start a new discussion without errors?

SKevo

I have created a test discussion at https://demo.flarum.site/ and inspected the "Networking" tab. The correct payload for discussions is:

{
    "data": {
        "type": "discussions",
        "attributes": {
            "title": "test",
            "content": "test"
        },
        "relationships": {
            "tags": {
                "data": [
                    {
                        "type": "tags",
                        "id": "1"
                    }
                ]
            }
        }
    }
}

And for posts:

{
   "data": {
      "type":"posts",
      "attributes": {
         "content":"test"
      },
      "relationships": {
         "discussion": {
            "data": {
               "type":"discussions",
               "id":"29960"
            }
         }
      }
   }
}

The reason why it failed is because you mixed properties of discussions and posts together. You tried to send posts to /api/discussions with type of comment, but other properties belonged to discussion, which confused Flarum.

As for documentation, there is no official REST API one yet AFAIK (someone correct me if I'm wrong). But you can check Maicol07's PHP Flarum API client to see how are other payloads handled. Or, you can have a look at my pyFlarum Python package.

ivy-rew

Thanks a lot @SKevo it works much better with your /discussions payload.

Now I get a 422 due to the recaptcha plugin. But I think we get that solved by changing the config. Thanks

{"errors":[{"status":"422","code":"validation_error","detail":"The recaptcha field is required.","source":{"pointer":"\/data\/attributes\/recaptcha"}}]}

SKevo

ivy-rew indeed. If you are using FoF reCaptcha, then you can create a group, assign the bypass permission to it and add your user to it:

I am sure that this will fix the necessity of submitting reCaptcha data to the endpoint

ivy-rew

This was it SKevo just got a 201 CREATED back 😃
Thanks a lot for your help. 👍️ 🚀