REST and JSON APIs #

This page is for developers who expose JSON from controllers or an API framework. Exponential has three ready API layers and the option of plain JSON from a module view. Pick the layer by who calls it.

Contents #

1. Which layer
2. The REST content API
3. Your own REST routes
4. ezjscore server functions
5. expservices
6. Plain JSON from a view
7. Compared with API frameworks

Which layer #

The REST content API #

Relative to /api/ezp/<version> (REST API v1 and v2 for applications):

curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $EXP_API_KEY" https://example.com/api/ezp/v1/content/node/2

Every call checks the user's policies (content/read, content/create, content/edit, content/remove), whatever the credential. settings/rest.ini configures the framework; [Authentication] RequireAuthentication=enabled is the default. Under Apache with FastCGI, make sure the Authorization header reaches PHP (REST API v1 and v2 guide, OAuth and API keys).

Your own REST routes #

An extension adds routes with a REST provider registered for a prefix, with a route table and controllers, the way ezprestapi registers ezp7xRestApiProvider for ezp and ezpl. Route, request, result and response filters are further extension points (Extension points: REST provider). The framework authenticates; your controller must authorize.

ezjscore server functions #

# extension/expdemo/settings/ezjscore.ini.append.php
<?php /* #?ini charset="utf-8"?
[ezjscServer_expdemo]
Class=expDemoServerFunctions
*/ ?>

<root>/ezjscore/call/expdemo::count::42?ContentType=json calls expDemoServerFunctions::count( array( '42' ) ) and wraps the return value as {"error_text": "", "content": ...}. ezjscore/call does not check a policy by itself: every function checks for itself (JSON endpoints with ezjscore).

expservices #

expservices turns the administration's functions into over a thousand named services (content, users, roles, caches, cronjobs, shop, feeds, media, tags, layouts, the audit and more), called through ezjscore with one answer envelope, discovery and tokens (Remote services with expservices).

Plain JSON from a view #

header( 'Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8' );
echo json_encode( array( 'ok' => true, 'data' => $data ) );
eZExecution::cleanExit();

Fine for one endpoint; for anything larger use a layer above (Responses).

Compared with API frameworks #

Related pages #

• Headless and decoupled front ends
• APIs and protocols standard
• Remote services and apps
• Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.