Making post from another tomcat application

jforumrookie

Hi,

Does anyone know how I can make a post from another webapp application? We have an existing web application that when a user submit a form, we would like it to make a new topic on the jforum. I have tried following the saveMessage method in InstallAction class and have successfully added the post into the database, but somehow I don't see the new post in the jforum.

Any help or suggestion would be appreciated.

Thanks.

andowson

You can use Apache HttpComponents HttpClient to do this. However, JForum needs to have a new API postApi to be called by your application.

The scenario is as follows:
[Your AP] ---HTTP POST--->[JForum postApi]

Your AP makes an HTTP POST to the JForum postApi URL with 5 parameters:
1. api_key: used as a trust key between Your AP and JForum
2. email: poster's email address (should be a user of JForum first)
3. forum_id: the target forum's id
4. subject: subject of the post
5. message: content of the post

For security, you need to add an api_key into the jforum_api table. (api_validity should be a longer future date)

insert into jforum_api(api_key, api_validity) values('yourAp', '2012/12/22');

The postApi pattern looks like the following:
http://localhsot:8080/jforum/postApi/insert/yourAp/somebody@yourcompany.com/1.page

You need to add this pattern into jforum's /WEB-INF/config/urlPattern.properties


# postApi

postApi.insert.3 = api_key, email, forum_id

Finally, I have added a new API in JForum 2.3.2 to help this need. I add this into jforum's /WEB-INF/config/modulesMapping.properties

postApi = net.jforum.api.rest.PostREST

The PostREST.java is as follows:




/*

 * Copyright (c) JForum Team

 * All rights reserved.

 * 

 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, 

 * with or without modification, are permitted provided 

 * that the following conditions are met:

 * 

 * 1) Redistributions of source code must retain the above 

 * copyright notice, this list of conditions and the 

 * following disclaimer.

 * 2) Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the 

 * above copyright notice, this list of conditions and 

 * the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or 

 * other materials provided with the distribution.

 * 3) Neither the name of "Rafael Steil" nor 

 * the names of its contributors may be used to endorse 

 * or promote products derived from this software without 

 * specific prior written permission.

 * 

 * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT 

 * HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY 

 * EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, 

 * BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF 

 * MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR 

 * PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL 

 * THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE 

 * FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, 

 * EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES 

 * (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF 

 * SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, 

 * OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER 

 * CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER 

 * IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT 

 * (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN 

 * ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF 

 * ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE

 * 

 * Created on 01/10/2011 14:32:22

 * The JForum Project

 * http://www.jforum.net

 */

package net.jforum.api.rest;



import java.util.Date;



import net.jforum.Command;

import net.jforum.JForumExecutionContext;

import net.jforum.SessionFacade;

import net.jforum.context.RequestContext;

import net.jforum.context.ResponseContext;

import net.jforum.dao.DataAccessDriver;

import net.jforum.dao.UserDAO;

import net.jforum.entities.Post;

import net.jforum.entities.Topic;

import net.jforum.entities.User;

import net.jforum.entities.UserSession;

import net.jforum.exceptions.APIException;

import net.jforum.util.I18n;

import net.jforum.util.preferences.ConfigKeys;

import net.jforum.util.preferences.SystemGlobals;

import net.jforum.util.preferences.TemplateKeys;

import net.jforum.view.forum.PostAction;



import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;



import freemarker.template.SimpleHash;

import freemarker.template.Template;



/**

 * @author Andowson Chang

 *

 */

public class PostREST extends Command {



	/* (non-Javadoc)

	 * @see net.jforum.Command#list()

	 */

	@Override

	public void list() {

		try {

			this.authenticate();

			// do nothing here

			// TODO: add implementation

		}

		catch (Exception e) {

			this.setTemplateName(TemplateKeys.API_ERROR);

			this.context.put("exception", e);

		}

	}



	/**

	 * Creates a new post.

	 * Required parameters are "email", "forum_id", "subject" and "message".

	 */

	public void insert()

	{

		try {

			this.authenticate();

			

			final String email = this.requiredRequestParameter("email");

			final String forumId = this.requiredRequestParameter("forum_id");

			final String subject = this.requiredRequestParameter("subject");

			final String message = this.requiredRequestParameter("message");

					

			final UserDAO dao = DataAccessDriver.getInstance().newUserDAO();			

			User user = dao.findByEmail(email);

			// If user's email not exists, use anonymous instead

			if (user == null) {

				user = new User();

				user.setId(SystemGlobals.getIntValue(ConfigKeys.ANONYMOUS_USER_ID));

				user.setUsername(I18n.getMessage("Guest"));

			}

			// OK, time to insert the post

			final UserSession userSession = SessionFacade.getUserSession();

			userSession.setUserId(user.getId());

			userSession.setUsername(user.getUsername());

			String sessionId = userSession.getSessionId(); 

			userSession.setStartTime(new Date(System.currentTimeMillis()));

			SessionFacade.makeLogged();



			SessionFacade.removeAttribute(ConfigKeys.LAST_POST_TIME);

			SessionFacade.setAttribute(ConfigKeys.REQUEST_IGNORE_CAPTCHA, "1");



			final Post post = new Post();

			post.setForumId(Integer.valueOf(forumId));

			post.setSubject(subject);

			post.setText(message);				

			this.insertMessage(user, post);

			SessionFacade.makeUnlogged();

			SessionFacade.remove(sessionId);			

		}

		catch (Exception e) {

			this.setTemplateName(TemplateKeys.API_ERROR);

			this.context.put("exception", e);

		}

	}

	

	/**

	 * Calls {@link PostAction#insertSave()}

	 * @param post the post

	 * @param user the user who's doing the post

	 */

	private void insertMessage(final User user, final Post post)

	{

		this.addDataToRequest(user, post);

		

		final PostAction postAction = new PostAction(JForumExecutionContext.getRequest(), new SimpleHash());

		postAction.insertSave();

	}

	

	/**

	 * Extracts information from a mail message and adds it to the request context

	 * @param post the post

	 * @param user the user who's doing the post

	 */

	private void addDataToRequest(final User user, final Post post)

	{

		final RequestContext request = JForumExecutionContext.getRequest(); 



		request.addParameter("topic_type", Integer.toString(Topic.TYPE_NORMAL));

		request.addParameter("quick", "1");

		

		final int topicId = post.getTopicId();

		if (topicId > 0) {

			request.addParameter("topic_id", Integer.toString(topicId));

		}

		

		if (!user.isBbCodeEnabled()) {

			request.addParameter("disable_bbcode", "on");

		}

		

		if (!user.isSmiliesEnabled()) {

			request.addParameter("disable_smilies", "on");

		}

		

		if (!user.isHtmlEnabled()) {

			request.addParameter("disable_html", "on");

		}

	}	

	

	/**

	 * Retrieves a parameter from the request and ensures it exists

	 * @param paramName the parameter name to retrieve its value

	 * @return the parameter value

	 * @throws APIException if the parameter is not found or its value is empty

	 */

	private String requiredRequestParameter(final String paramName)

	{

		final String value = this.request.getParameter(paramName);

		

		if (StringUtils.isBlank(value)) {

			throw new APIException("The parameter '" + paramName + "' was not found");

		}

		

		return value;

	}



	/**

	 * Tries to authenticate the user accessing the API

	 * @throws APIException if the authentication fails

	 */

	private void authenticate()

	{

		final String apiKey = this.requiredRequestParameter("api_key");

		

		final RESTAuthentication auth = new RESTAuthentication();

		

		if (!auth.validateApiKey(apiKey)) {

			throw new APIException("The provided API authentication information is not valid");

		}

	}

	

	public Template process(final RequestContext request, final ResponseContext response, final SimpleHash context)

	{

		JForumExecutionContext.setContentType("text/xml");

		return super.process(request, response, context);

	}

}

And you can use the following example to do the test:




package com.andowson.integration;



import java.util.ArrayList;

import java.util.List;



import org.apache.http.HttpEntity;

import org.apache.http.HttpResponse;

import org.apache.http.NameValuePair;

import org.apache.http.client.entity.UrlEncodedFormEntity;

import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpPost;

import org.apache.http.impl.client.DefaultHttpClient;

import org.apache.http.message.BasicNameValuePair;

import org.apache.http.protocol.HTTP;

import org.apache.http.util.EntityUtils;



/**

 * A example that demonstrates how HttpClient APIs can be used to perform

 * adding a post outside JForum.

 */

public class AddPostOutsideJForum {



    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {



        DefaultHttpClient httpclient = new DefaultHttpClient();

        try {

        	String apiKey = "yourAp";

        	String email = "somebody@yourcompany.com";

        	int forumId = 1;

        	String subject = "postApi test";

        	String message = "This is a test post outside JForum.\nBBCode test :)";

            String baseURL = "http://localhost:8080/jforum/";

            

        	HttpPost httppost = new HttpPost(baseURL + "postApi/insert/" +

                    apiKey + "/" + email + "/" + forumId + ".page");        	

        	

        	List <NameValuePair> nvps = new ArrayList <NameValuePair>();

            nvps.add(new BasicNameValuePair("subject", subject));

            nvps.add(new BasicNameValuePair("message", message));



            httppost.setEntity(new UrlEncodedFormEntity(nvps, HTTP.UTF_8));



            System.out.println("executing request " + httppost.getURI());

            

            HttpResponse response = httpclient.execute(httppost);

            HttpEntity entity = response.getEntity();

            System.out.println("status: " + response.getStatusLine());

            System.out.println(EntityUtils.toString(entity));           

        } finally {

            // When HttpClient instance is no longer needed,

            // shut down the connection manager to ensure

            // immediate deallocation of all system resources

            httpclient.getConnectionManager().shutdown();

        }

    }

}

jforumrookie

Thanks! I will give this a try.

jforumrookie

Thanks andowson for this added feature. It works beautifully. One more request if possible. Is it possible for the PostREST to return the post id or a link to the post after the insert?

I tried to mod it like UserREST, but no success. I keep getting a response of 302 Move Temporary.

Thanks,

andowson

I've tried to do the same thing as you said during the implementation. And keep getting a response of 302 Move Temporary, too.
So finally I decide to make it works as only support adding a post outside but no post id returned.

You may tried to modify the PostAction.java's insertSave() method's return type from void to int and get the postId returned.

jforumrookie

Thanks. I'll give it a try.

jforumrookie

Thanks andowson. After some debugging, it looks like PostAction.insertSave is redirecting the path. So I didn't change any of its code. What I ended up doing was in the PostREST, I retrieve the post link from JForumExecutionContext.getRedirectTo() and then set it to null with JForumExecutionContext.setRedirect(null). That seem to do the trick.

Here's a sample snipplet of my modified PostREST.java


public void insert() 

{

   ...

   final Post post = new Post();

   post.setForumId(Integer.valueOf(forumId));

   post.setSubject(subject);

   post.setText(message);

   this.insertMessage(user, post);



   // new start

   String postLink = JForumExecutionContext.getRedirectTo();

   JForumExecutionContext.setRedirect(null);

   this.setTemplateName(TemplateKeys.API_POST_INSERT);

   this.context.put("postLink", postLink);

   // new end



   SessionFacade.makeUnlogged();

   SessionFacade.remove(sessionId);

   ...

}

Thanks!

andowson

Nice! I'll add this to the next release.
Thank you, jforumrookie.