Commit 958dd277 authored by Achilleas Pipinellis's avatar Achilleas Pipinellis

Clean-up API README [ci skip]

- Fix some curl examples
- Fix examples for id vs iid
parent 415b78e0
# GitLab API # GitLab API
Automate GitLab via a simple and powerful API. All definitions can be found
under [/lib/api](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/tree/master/lib/api).
## Resources ## Resources
Documentation for various API resources can be found separately in the
following locations:
- [Users](users.md) - [Users](users.md)
- [Session](session.md) - [Session](session.md)
- [Projects](projects.md) including setting Webhooks - [Projects](projects.md) including setting Webhooks
...@@ -44,7 +50,7 @@ returned with status code `401`: ...@@ -44,7 +50,7 @@ returned with status code `401`:
``` ```
API requests should be prefixed with `api` and the API version. The API version API requests should be prefixed with `api` and the API version. The API version
is defined in `lib/api.rb`. is defined in [`lib/api.rb`][lib-api-url].
Example of a valid API request: Example of a valid API request:
...@@ -52,13 +58,14 @@ Example of a valid API request: ...@@ -52,13 +58,14 @@ Example of a valid API request:
GET https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/projects?private_token=9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK GET https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/projects?private_token=9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK
``` ```
Example of a valid API request using curl and authentication via header: Example of a valid API request using cURL and authentication via header:
```shell ```shell
curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: 9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/projects" curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: 9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/projects"
``` ```
The API uses JSON to serialize data. You don't need to specify `.json` at the end of API URL. The API uses JSON to serialize data. You don't need to specify `.json` at the
end of an API URL.
## Authentication with OAuth2 token ## Authentication with OAuth2 token
...@@ -82,21 +89,21 @@ Read more about [GitLab as an OAuth2 client](oauth2.md). ...@@ -82,21 +89,21 @@ Read more about [GitLab as an OAuth2 client](oauth2.md).
## Status codes ## Status codes
The API is designed to return different status codes according to context and The API is designed to return different status codes according to context and
action. This way if a request results in an error, the caller is able to get action. This way, if a request results in an error, the caller is able to get
insight into what went wrong. insight into what went wrong.
The following table gives an overview of how the API functions generally behave. The following table gives an overview of how the API functions generally behave.
| Request type | Explanation | | Request type | Description |
| ------------ | ----------- | | ------------ | ----------- |
| `GET` | Access one or more resources and return the result as JSON. | | `GET` | Access one or more resources and return the result as JSON. |
| `POST` | Return `201 Created` if the resource is successfully created and return the newly created resource as JSON. | | `POST` | Return `201 Created` if the resource is successfully created and return the newly created resource as JSON. |
| `GET` / `PUT` / `DELETE` | Return `200 OK` if the resource is accessed, modified or deleted successfully. The (modified) result is returned as JSON. | | `GET` / `PUT` / `DELETE` | Return `200 OK` if the resource is accessed, modified or deleted successfully. The (modified) result is returned as JSON. |
| `DELETE` | Designed to be idempotent, meaning a request to a resource still returns `200 OK` even it was deleted before or is not available. The reasoning behind it is the user is not really interested if the resource existed before or not. | | `DELETE` | Designed to be idempotent, meaning a request to a resource still returns `200 OK` even it was deleted before or is not available. The reasoning behind this, is that the user is not really interested if the resource existed before or not. |
The following table shows the possible return codes for API requests. The following table shows the possible return codes for API requests.
| Return values | Explanation | | Return values | Description |
| ------------- | ----------- | | ------------- | ----------- |
| `200 OK` | The `GET`, `PUT` or `DELETE` request was successful, the resource(s) itself is returned as JSON. | | `200 OK` | The `GET`, `PUT` or `DELETE` request was successful, the resource(s) itself is returned as JSON. |
| `201 Created` | The `POST` request was successful and the resource is returned as JSON. | | `201 Created` | The `POST` request was successful and the resource is returned as JSON. |
...@@ -107,15 +114,15 @@ The following table shows the possible return codes for API requests. ...@@ -107,15 +114,15 @@ The following table shows the possible return codes for API requests.
| `405 Method Not Allowed` | The request is not supported. | | `405 Method Not Allowed` | The request is not supported. |
| `409 Conflict` | A conflicting resource already exists, e.g. creating a project with a name that already exists. | | `409 Conflict` | A conflicting resource already exists, e.g. creating a project with a name that already exists. |
| `422 Unprocessable` | The entity could not be processed. | | `422 Unprocessable` | The entity could not be processed. |
| `500 Server Error` | While handling the request something went wrong on the server side. | | `500 Server Error` | While handling the request something went wrong server-side. |
## Sudo ## Sudo
All API requests support performing an API call as if you were another user, All API requests support performing an API call as if you were another user,
provided your private token is from an administration account. You need to pass provided your private token is from an administrator account. You need to pass
the `sudo` parameter by URL or header with an ID or username of the user you the `sudo` parameter either by URL or a header with an ID/username of the user
want to perform the operation as. If passed as a header, the header name must you want to perform the operation as. If passed as a header, the header name
be **SUDO** (capitals). must be **SUDO** (capitals).
If a non administrative `private_token` is provided, then an error message will If a non administrative `private_token` is provided, then an error message will
be returned with status code `403`: be returned with status code `403`:
...@@ -135,22 +142,24 @@ returned with status code `404`: ...@@ -135,22 +142,24 @@ returned with status code `404`:
} }
``` ```
Example of a valid API call with sudo request providing a username and an ID ---
respectively:
Example of a valid API call and a request using cURL with sudo request,
providing a username:
```shell ```shell
GET /projects?private_token=9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK&sudo=username GET /projects?private_token=9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK&sudo=username
``` ```
```shell ```shell
GET /projects?private_token=9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK&sudo=23 curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: 9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK" --header "SUDO: username" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/projects"
``` ```
Example of a valid API request with sudo using curl and authentication via Example of a valid API call and a request using cURL with sudo request,
header: providing an ID:
```shell ```shell
curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: 9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK" --header "SUDO: username" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/projects" GET /projects?private_token=9koXpg98eAheJpvBs5tK&sudo=23
``` ```
```shell ```shell
...@@ -164,8 +173,8 @@ resources you can pass the following parameters. ...@@ -164,8 +173,8 @@ resources you can pass the following parameters.
| Parameter | Description | | Parameter | Description |
| --------- | ----------- | | --------- | ----------- |
| `page` | Page number (default: `1`). | | `page` | Page number (default: `1`) |
| `per_page`| Number of items to list per page (default: `20`, max: `100`). | | `per_page`| Number of items to list per page (default: `20`, max: `100`) |
In the example below, we list 50 [namespaces](namespaces.md) per page. In the example below, we list 50 [namespaces](namespaces.md) per page.
...@@ -230,19 +239,20 @@ For example, an issue might have `id: 46` and `iid: 5`. ...@@ -230,19 +239,20 @@ For example, an issue might have `id: 46` and `iid: 5`.
| Parameter | Description | | Parameter | Description |
| --------- | ----------- | | --------- | ----------- |
| id | is unique across all issues and is used for any API call. | | `id` | Is unique across all issues and is used for any API call |
| iid | is unique only in scope of a single project. When you browse issues or merge requests with Web UI, you see the `iid`. | | `iid` | Is unique only in scope of a single project. When you browse issues or merge requests with the Web UI, you see the `iid` |
That means that if you want to get an issue via the API you should use: That means that if you want to get an issue via the API you should use the `id`:
```bash ```bash
https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/projects/42/issues/:id.json GET /projects/42/issues/:id
``` ```
On the other hand, if you want to create a link to a web page you should use: On the other hand, if you want to create a link to a web page you should use
the `iid`:
```bash ```bash
https://gitlab.example.com/api/v3/projects/42/issues/:iid.json GET /projects/42/issues/:iid
``` ```
## Data validation and error reporting ## Data validation and error reporting
...@@ -258,7 +268,7 @@ Such errors appear in two cases: ...@@ -258,7 +268,7 @@ Such errors appear in two cases:
When an attribute is missing, you will get something like: When an attribute is missing, you will get something like:
``` ```json
HTTP/1.1 400 Bad Request HTTP/1.1 400 Bad Request
Content-Type: application/json Content-Type: application/json
{ {
...@@ -269,7 +279,7 @@ Content-Type: application/json ...@@ -269,7 +279,7 @@ Content-Type: application/json
When a validation error occurs, error messages will be different. They will When a validation error occurs, error messages will be different. They will
hold all details of validation errors: hold all details of validation errors:
``` ```json
HTTP/1.1 400 Bad Request HTTP/1.1 400 Bad Request
Content-Type: application/json Content-Type: application/json
{ {
...@@ -308,4 +318,5 @@ follows: ...@@ -308,4 +318,5 @@ follows:
There are many unofficial GitLab API Clients for most of the popular There are many unofficial GitLab API Clients for most of the popular
programming languages. Visit the [GitLab website][] for a complete list. programming languages. Visit the [GitLab website][] for a complete list.
[GitLab website]: https://about.gitlab.com/applications/#api-clients [GitLab website]: https://about.gitlab.com/applications/#api-clients "Clients using the GitLab API"
[lib-api-url]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/tree/master/lib/api/api.rb
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