How to configure REST server to create new node from URL parameters?

Question

Drupal 7.23 Services 7.x-3.5

I've followed the instructions for setting up Services module, including https://drupal.org/node/1699354. I got the endpoint setup successfully. I am able to retrieve index of nodes using ...endpoint/node and specific nodes using .../endpoint/node/#.

Now how can I create new nodes via Service through an URL? The Services manual gets really confusing at this point, is outdated and full of errors. The sample code they provide here https://drupal.org/node/1334758 ... am i supposed to put this in a custom module in order to be able to POST? If so, it turns my whole site blank right after adding this line:

// cURL 
$curl = curl_init($request_url);

Also, there's an issue with CSRF validation, as showing in the Firefox Poster tool. The Services forum is a madhouse so I come here in hopes that someone can guide me in the right direction. What other modules do I need to get this to work? Why does my site go blank after adding the code above?

A simple solution would be the following:

domain/endpoint?title=test&url=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.example.com

and produce a new node of nodetype with a title and URL.

Answer 1

In order to create the node you must use the POST HTTP request so you can't do something like domain/endpoint?title=test&url=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.example.com(it's GET HTTP request). You can do the following to solve your problems:

1. First you need to make the Services 3.0 work with Firefox Poster tool. You can go Testing with REST Server for checking all the basic function in case you forgot to set the permissions or forgot to enable resources.
2. After you find out how to communicate with Services 3.0. You can use drupal_http_request to build your own POST/GET HTTP request. An example will be here Making authenticated requests to REST Server.

Answer 2

Sample code provided there is flawed as there is no need to get CSRF token two times. One time is enough after user login. Also, CSRF token needs to be obtained in the same curl session as login, as Drupal Services returns empty otherwise, try the following code once:

<?php

        // LOGIN AND GET CSRF TOKEN

        /*
            * Server REST - user.login
        */

        // REST Server URL
        $request_url = 'http://mysite....com/server/user/login.json';

        // User data
        $user_data = array(
        'username' => 'xxxx',
        'password' => 'xxxx',
        );
        $user_data = http_build_query($user_data);

        // cURL
        $curl = curl_init($request_url);
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array('Accept: application/json')); // Accept JSON response
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_POST, 1); // Do a regular HTTP POST
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $user_data); // Set POST data
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_HEADER, FALSE);  // Ask to not return Header
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, TRUE);
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_FAILONERROR, TRUE);


        $response = curl_exec($curl);
        //print_r($response);
        $http_code = curl_getinfo($curl, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);
        //print "<br>".$http_code."</br>";
        // Check if login was successful
        if ($http_code == 200) {
            // Convert json response as array
            $logged_user = json_decode($response);
            //print_r($logged_user);

        }
        else {
            // Get error msg
            $http_message = curl_error($curl);
            die($http_message);
        }        


        // Define cookie session
        $cookie_session = $logged_user->session_name . '=' . $logged_user->sessid;

        //GET CSRF TOKEN
        curl_setopt_array($curl, array(
        CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => 1,
        CURLOPT_URL => 'http://mysite....com/services/session/token',
        ));
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_COOKIE, "$cookie_session"); 
        // $csrf_token = curl_exec($curl);
        //print_r($csrf_token);

        $ret = new stdClass;

        $ret->response = curl_exec($curl);
        $ret->error    = curl_error($curl);
        $ret->info     = curl_getinfo($curl);


        //print_r($ret->response);
        $csrf_token = json_decode($ret->response)->token;


        /*
            * Server REST - node.create
        */

        // REST Server URL
        $request_url = 'http://mysite....com/server/node';

        // Node data
        $node_data = array(
        'title' => 'A node created with services 3.x and REST server',
        'type' => 'page',
        'body[und][0][value]' => '<p>Body</p>',
        );
        $node_data = http_build_query($node_data);

        // cURL
        $curl = curl_init($request_url);
        // Accept JSON response
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array('Accept: application/json', 'X-CSRF-Token: ' .$csrf_token));
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_POST, 1); // Do a regular HTTP POST
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $node_data); // Set POST data

        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_HEADER, FALSE);
        // use the previously saved session
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_COOKIE, "$cookie_session"); 
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, TRUE);
        curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_FAILONERROR, TRUE);

        $response = curl_exec($curl);
        print "<br><br>";
        print_r($response);
        $http_code = curl_getinfo($curl, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE);

        // Check if login was successful
        if ($http_code == 200) {
            // Convert json response as array
            $node = json_decode($response);
        }
        else {
            // Get error msg
            $http_message = curl_error($curl);
            die($http_message);
        }

        print_r($node);


    ?>

Answer 3

For some reason, the CRUD operation 'index - List all nodes' has to be checked in addition to 'Create a node' within the Resources menu, otherwise the CSRF validation issue remains.