Find a better way to pass array parameter in REST calls

Actual behavior

We can't simply pass an array parameter to REST call as GET parameters. For example 'https://fd.pfptnbdev.io/rest.php/v1/objects/user?base=uid=coudot1,ou=users,dc=kroqi,dc=fr&scope=base&attrs={"sn":1,"mail":1}' do not work.

The REST client PHP code is:

    // Allow passing parameters as a pre-encoded string (or something that
    // allows casting to a string). Parameters passed as strings will not be
    // merged with parameters specified in the default options.
    if (is_array($parameters)) {
      $parameters = array_merge($client->options['parameters'],
$parameters);
      $parameters_string = http_build_query($parameters);

      // http_build_query automatically adds an array index to repeated
      // parameters which is not desirable on most systems. This hack
      // reverts "key[0]=foo&key[1]=bar" to "key[]=foo&key[]=bar"
      if (!$client->options['build_indexed_queries']) {
        $parameters_string = preg_replace(
                    "/%5B[0-9]+%5D=/simU", "%5B%5D=", $parameters_string);
      }
    }

Expected behavior

Find a way to serialize array values in GET parameter so we can call REST services from any language.

added plugin-webservice label

changed title from FInd a better way to pass array parameter in REST calls to Find a better way to pass array parameter in REST calls

You need to pass each value separately, the code you quoted builds this for your example: base=uid%3Dcoudot1%2Cou%3Dusers%2Cdc%3Dkroqi%2Cdc%3Dfr&scope=base&attrs%5Bsn%5D=1&attrs%5Bmail%5D=1

If I pass it to urldecode I get: base=uid=coudot1,ou=users,dc=kroqi,dc=fr&scope=base&attrs[sn]=1&attrs[mail]=1

Test it here: https://3v4l.org/uIeE8

I expected there would be an RFC about how to pass an array in a query string, but it appears there is no such thing and query strings are treated as an opaque string as I understand it, only RFC is how to encode forms, but forms do not contains associative arrays.

Resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Query_string

So we should document the array format in the query string as it does not seem to be documented in many places. It is array[key1]=value1&array[key2]=value2 for associative arrays and array[]=value1&array[]=value2 for non-associative arrays.

added 1 deleted label

added 20m of time spent at 2019-11-19

Hello @MCMic, thanks a lot, I was also searching some spectification on how to use arrays in query string but found nothing.

The syntax with array[key1]=value1&array[key2]=value2 is perfect for the API, we indeed just need to update the documentation.

I can propose a patch for the documentation if you want.

Hello,

I can't find the OpenAPI document file to propose a modification, could you help me by poiting to the right direction?

Sorry, I think I found it: https://gitlab.fusiondirectory.org/fusiondirectory/fd-plugins/blob/1.4-dev/webservice/html/openapi.yaml

Hello, I proposed a patch in !654

Hope it helps.

added 30m of time spent at 2019-11-21

added user-manual label and removed 1 deleted label

added PJ1802-0188 label

assigned to @MCMic and unassigned @coudot

changed milestone to %FusionDirectory 1.4

changed due date to March 24, 2020

mentioned in commit 9f3b5278

Should be fixed by the MR.