Re: Using REST service created with IWS -- WEB400

While I agree the definition of REST can be pretty flexible and there are no hard and fast rules, I think it is a fairly well established rule of thumb that the URL should generally identify the resource, not the query parameters. The body (which I think you mean by "standard input") is where the payload should go, and should not be used on on a GET request in any case.

In some APIs the resource is not a "thing" but a function, in which case it is considered ok to pass query parameters to it in the URL for a GET or in the body for a POST. The example of this from my favourite REST book "The RESTful Webservices Cookbook" is a distance calculator. So /calc_distance?from=wiesbaden&to=frankfurt is ok because "distance" is not a thing but a function.

Tim.

________________________________
From: WEB400 <web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of B Stone <bvstone@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: 14 January 2019 18:27
To: Web Enabling the IBM i (AS/400 and iSeries)
Subject: Re: [WEB400] Using REST service created with IWS

This is really what makes things difficult in todays APIs world. You have
the option to use query string, resource, or Standard input data for any of
the data passed. Or a combination of all of them. I wouldn't say query
strings are frowned upon by all. Depending on it's use.

Working with Google and Ms and others I've seen all 3 used in some cases.
There is _some_ rhyme and reason as to when to use each, but its not set in
stone. I prefer to keep the URI as simple as possible, passing most
description/selection data as standard input (json mainly.. I suppose you
could use XML).

So, before going and making complex URIs for a RESTful service, look more
into what may work best in the long run. There are hundreds if not
thousands of threads online discussing this.

Bradley V. Stone
https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=www.bvstools.com&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ccb90b390820a4d78712408d67a4598be%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636830836659125221&sdata=AiIGw2yQoAvBEgdwQTs%2FHFtWkNXzPNpSOAaygzFUEZM%3D&reserved=0
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use SSL, TLS or OAuth 2.0 authentication. (OAuth 2.0 only available with
Google or Microsoft Office 365).

On Mon, Jan 14, 2019 at 11:07 AM Tim Fathers <X700-IX2J@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Peter,

I don't know anything about the IWS but I think from what you've posted
you are perhaps confusing two different ways of specifying parameters in
the URL. One method is to use query parameters, which follow the question
mark at the end of the URL, e.g. /customers?id=1234&order=1 The second
method is to specify the parameters as part of the URL itself, so
/customers/1234/orders/1

The first method is considered bad practice in a RESTful API when it is
used to help identify the resource which you are requesting (here customer
1234 and order 1), it should normally only be used in a RESTful API to add
further, refining information to the request, such a page numbers and
filtering, /customers/1234/orders/1?page=1&sort=name

Looking at your pattern, /{email}{casenbr ^[0-9]+$} you are trying to
specify URL type parameters but actually attempting to use query type
parameters. In any case, as Nadir says, the pattern won't work because
there's no way to delimite the email address and case number, what you
probably need is something like this:

/email/{email}/casenbr/{casenbr ^[0-9]+$}

Which would then mean your requesting URL should be /lab_repair/email/
address@xxxxxxxxxxx/casenbr/1234567

Tim.

________________________________
From: WEB400 <web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of Peter Dow <
petercdow@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: 14 January 2019 17:22
To: web400@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [WEB400] Using REST service created with IWS

I'm not sure what you mean. If the URL is

https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.2.3.4%3A10010%2Fweb%2Fservices%2Flab_repair%3Femail%3Daddress%2540example.com%26casenbr%3D1234567&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ccb90b390820a4d78712408d67a4598be%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636830836659125221&sdata=ZoXJVmfz99O6%2FjN3YRIbAkw%2BCb%2FfWAj%2FMgWFX4KcAS4%3D&reserved=0

the parameter name is right there in the URL.

If that's incorrect, what should the URL look like?

On 1/14/2019 7:11 AM, Nadir Amra wrote:

Hi Peter, yes, I know how the gui figures out the parameters, but there

is

no way to determine the email and the casenbr for any URL specified the
way you currently define the parameters.

"WEB400" <web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote on 01/11/2019

04:33:00

PM:

From: Peter Dow <petercdow@xxxxxxxxx>
To: web400@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: 01/11/2019 04:33 PM
Subject: Re: [WEB400] Using REST service created with IWS
Sent by: "WEB400" <web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Nadir,

Thanks for responding -- this was my first time using IWS and I was
following your article (at least I'm guessing you're the same Nadir
Amra) at

https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ibm.com%2Fdeveloperworks%2Fibmi%2Flibrary%2Fi-rest-web-services-&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ccb90b390820a4d78712408d67a4598be%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636830836659125221&sdata=BD5u63LyUsMdBkDyF7Gmb1Tl74TyKQluKU%2FCR5GfLsE%3D&reserved=0

server2/index.html.
And I remember wishing you'd had an example with more than one parameter

:)

I'm guessing it figures it out by the braces - {} as it does not seem to
have a problem figuring it out. When it shows the parameters for the
method, it separates them in the drop down for the "Identifier" column
of the Input Parameter Mappings:

Input parameter mappings:
Parameter name Data type Input source Identifier Default
Value
PEMAIL char *PATH_PARAM email *NONE
PCASENBR zoned *PATH_PARAM casenbr ^[0-9]+$ *NONE

--
*Peter Dow* /
Dow Software Services, Inc.
909 793-9050
petercdow@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:petercdow@xxxxxxxxx>
pdow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:pdow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> /

On 1/11/2019 11:29 AM, Nadir Amra wrote:

The one thing I am confused about is how the app server is to

determine

when email starts and casenbr begins.

You may need to put some sort of delimiter between the variables. Like

/{email}-{casenbr ^[0-9]+$}

"WEB400" <web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote on 01/11/2019

01:06:15

PM:

From: Peter Dow <petercdow@xxxxxxxxx>
To: web400@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: 01/11/2019 01:08 PM
Subject: [WEB400] Using REST service created with IWS
Sent by: "WEB400" <web400-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

On a v7r3 Power8 box, I used IBM Web Administration for i to create

an

Application server called LAB_REPAIR (v2.6 web services).

It's based on a service program, RT0200S that has 2 procedures,

ADDCASE

and GETCASESTATUS. Right now I'm focused on the latter,

GETCASESTATUS.

It has 2 parameters, email and casenbr. Email is defined as
fixed-length 100a and casenbr is zoned decimal 7.0.

The base resource URL (using ip address for the time being; this is

on a

private LAN only) is

INVALID URI REMOVED.
4-3A10010_web_services_lab-5Frepair&d=DwIGaQ&c=jf_iaSHvJObTbx-
siA1ZOg&r=1i-jGlz0-JTK1aLHcsU-

ew&m=CCNDKmimbua65OnLAg5ajuhqmW1RUNgUU60YIV1cBPE&s=zDfiqyOfNRaGH9IFEeyWioXMwEUqOaDmlMC0Y9of--0&e=

The GETCASESTATUS procedure is associated with the http GET request:

Procedure name: GETCASESTATUS
HTTP request method: GET
URI path template for method: /{email}{casenbr ^[0-9]+$}
HTTP response code output parameter: *NONE
HTTP header array output parameter: *NONE
Allowed input media types: *ALL
Returned output media types: *XML
Input parameter mappings:
Parameter name Data type Input source Identifier Default
Value
PEMAIL char *PATH_PARAM email *NONE
PCASENBR zoned *PATH_PARAM casenbr ^[0-9]+$

*NONE

The service is created and running, and the question is, what URI do

I

use to test it?

When I trythe following uri in a browser

INVALID URI REMOVED.

4-3A10010_web_services_lab-5Frepair-3Femail-3Daddress-2540example.com-26casenbr-3D1234567&d=DwIGaQ&c=jf_iaSHvJObTbx-

siA1ZOg&r=1i-jGlz0-JTK1aLHcsU-

ew&m=CCNDKmimbua65OnLAg5ajuhqmW1RUNgUU60YIV1cBPE&s=uK47m9ezZuWUJIH8HkSEyHCGy65_KsLeV_fZGjfUqoo&e=

I get an HTTP 404 response (not found).

I tried using SOAPui and got the same thing.

I'm new at this REST stuff and really new at SOAPUI, but this really
shouldn't be that hard. What am I missing?

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