Creating a web service client

2018-11-06T13:22:12Z

Llagerlof: PHP library for REST added to the list

{{Moodle_2.0}}
[[Image:Moodle web service function documentation.jpg|thumb]]You need to know how to [https://docs.moodle.org/en/How_to_create_and_enable_a_web_service setup a web service] first.
To see the API Documentation, connect as Admin and go to '''Administration > Plugins > Web services > API Documentation'''

== Simple REST request example ==

To quickly test the web service works you can visit the end point from the browser or via curl. For example to call a function via REST protocol:

<code>
$ curl "https://your.site.com/moodle/webservice/rest/server.php?wstoken=...&wsfunction=...&moodlewsrestformat=json"
</code>

Customise the parameters <tt>wstoken</tt> and <tt>wsfunction</tt> to match the server side setup. Append additional parameters for the function call as needed. The <tt>moodlewsrestformat</tt> parameter affects the response format and can be either <tt>xml</tt> (default) or <tt>json</tt>.

== Officially supported protocols ==

; REST : The Moodle REST server accepts GET/POST parameters and return XML/JSON values. This server is not RESTfull.
; SOAP : The Moodle SOAP server is based on the Zend SOAP server (itself based on the PHP SOAP server). Zend publishes [http://framework.zend.com/manual/en/zend.soap.client.html a Zend SOAP client]. The current server implementation doesn't fully work with Java/.Net because we didn't generated a fully describe WSDL yet. If you are working on a Java/.Net client, follow or participate to the tracker issues MDL-28988 / MDL-28989
; XML-RPC : The Moodle XML-RPC server is based on Zend XML-RPC server. Zend also publishes [http://framework.zend.com/manual/en/zend.xmlrpc.client.html a Zend XML-RPC client].
; AMF : the Moodle AMF server is based on the Zend AMF server. The test client can be found in ''Settings blocks > Site Administration > Development > Web service test client > AMF Test client''.

== Demo client examples ==

Demo client sample codes can be downloaded on [https://github.com/moodlehq/sample-ws-clients Github].

For HTML5 app creators, you can also find:
* a nice [https://github.com/jleyva/umm phonegap / Jquery mobile template]
* a proof of concept of [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=189882 javascript cross-domain with Sencha Touch 1.1]

Node.js apps can use the [https://github.com/mudrd8mz/node-moodle-client moodle-client] module.

A [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=199453 Java Library for REST] can be found on [http://sourceforge.net/projects/moodlerestjava/ Sourceforge].

A [https://github.com/llagerlof/MoodleRest PHP Library for REST] can be found on GitHub.

== How to get a user token ==
{{Moodle_2.2}}
Your client can call the script located in /login/token.php with a simple HTTP request. We highly recommend to do it securely with HTTPS.
The required parameters are:
* username
* password
* service shortname - The service shortname is usually hardcoded in the pre-build service (db/service.php files). Moodle administrator will be able to edit shortnames for service created on the fly: MDL-29807. If you want to use the Mobile service, its shortname is <tt>moodle_mobile_app</tt>. Also useful to know, the database shortname field can be found in the table named external_services.

Request:
<code>
https://www.yourmoodle.com/login/token.php?username=USERNAME&password=PASSWORD&service=SERVICESHORTNAME
</code>

Response:
<code>
{token:4ed876sd87g6d8f7g89fsg6987dfh78d}
</code>

=== Difference between Moodle versions ===

* Moodle 2.2 and later: the script can generate user tokens for any service shortname (of course users must be allowed on the service, see [[:en:How to create and enable a web service|How to create and enable a web service]]).
* Moodle 2.1: the script can only generate tokens for the official built-in mobile service. However the script can returns tokens for other services, they just need to have been previously generated.

=== About service shortname ===

At the moment a service can have a shortname if you:
* create the service as a built-in service (in db/services.php files)
* add the shortname manually in the DB. Note: we'll add the admin UI for shortname later (MDL-30229)

== Text formats ==
=== Moodle 2.0 to 2.2 ===
{{Moodle_2.0}}
HTML is the format sent/received by web service functions. All returned file urls are converted to 'http://xxxx/webservice/pluginfile.php/yyyyyyyy'

=== Moodle 2.3 and later ===
{{Moodle_2.3}}
Since Moodle 2.3 you can add few GET/POST parameters to your request (for devs who have a good knowledge of File API and format_text()):
* ''moodlewssettingraw'' => false by default. If true, the function will not apply format_text() to description/summary/textarea. The function will return the raw content from the DB.
* ''moodlewssettingfileurl'' => true by default, returned file urls are converted to 'http://xxxx/webservice/pluginfile.php/yyyyyyyy'. If false the raw file url content from the DB is returned (e.g. @@PLUGINFILE@@)
* ''moodlewssettingfilter'' => false by default. If true, the function will filter during format_text()

== See also ==
* [[Web services|Web services developer documentation]]
* [[:en:Web_services|Web services user documentation]]
* [[Creating a web service and a web service function | Implement a web service and a web service function]]
* [[Web_services_Roadmap|Web service Roadmap]]

[[Category:Web Services]]

MoodleDocs - User contributions [en]

Creating a web service client