# How to BBJ? ## Input BBJ is interacted with entirely through POST requests, whose bodies are json objects. The endpoints, all listed below, can be contacted at the path /api/ relative to the root of where BBJ is hosted. If bbj is hosted on a server on port 80 at the root: `http://server.com/api/endpoint_here` The body of your request contains all of it's argument fields, instead of using URL parameters. As a demonstration, lets call `thread_create`. It requires two arguments: `title`, and `body`. We put those argument names at the root of the json object, and their values are the info passed into the API for that spot. Your input will look like this: ```json { "title": "Hello world!!", "body": "Hi! I am exploring this cool board thing!!" } ``` And you will POST this body to `http://server.com:PORT/api/thread_create`. A few endpoints do not require any arguments. These can still be POSTed to, but the body may be completely empty or an empty json object. You can even GET these if you so choose. For all endpoints, argument keys that are not consumed by the endpoint are ignored. Posting an object with a key/value pair of `"sandwich": True` will not clog up any pipes :) In the same vein, endpoints who dont take arguments don't care if you supply them anyway. ## Output BBJ returns data in a consistently formatted json object. The base object has three keys: `data`, `usermap`, and `error`. Visualizied: ```javascript { "error": false, // boolean false or error object "data": null, // null or the requested data from endpoint. "usermap": {} // a potentially empty object mapping user_ids to their objects } // If "error" is true, it looks like this: { "error": { "code": // an integer from 0 to 5, "description": // a string describing the error in detail. } "data": null // ALWAYS null if error is not false "usermap": {} // ALWAYS empty if error is not false } ``` ### data `data` is what the endpoint actually returns. The type of contents vary by endpoint and are documented below. If an endpoint says it returns a boolean, it will look like `"data": True`. If it says it returns an array, it will look like `"data": ["stuff", "goes", "here"]` ### usermap The usermap is a json object mapping user_ids within `data` to full user objects. BBJ handles users entirely by an ID system, meaning any references to them inside of response data will not include vital information like their username, or their profile information. Instead, we fetch those values from this usermap object. All of it's root keys are user_id's and their values are user objects. It should be noted that the anonymous user has it's own ID and profile object as well. ### error `error` is typically `null`. If it is __not__ null, then the request failed and the json object that `error` contains should be inspected. (see the above visualation) Errors follow a strict code system, making it easy for your client to map these responses to native exception types or signals in your language of choice. See [the full error page](errors.md) for details. # Authorization ## check_auth Takes the arguments `target_user` and `target_hash`, and returns boolean true or false whether the hash is valid. -------- # Threads & Messages ## delete_post Requires the arguments `thread_id` and `post_id`. Delete a message from a thread. The same rules apply here as `edit_post` and `edit_query`: the logged in user must either be the one who posted the message within 24hrs, or have admin rights. The same error descriptions and code are returned on falilure. Boolean true is returned on success. If the post_id is 0, the whole thread is deleted. ## edit_post Replace a post with a new body. Requires the arguments `thread_id`, `post_id`, and `body`. This method verifies that the user can edit a post before commiting the change, otherwise an error object is returned whose description should be shown to the user. To perform sanity checks and retrieve the unformatted body of a post without actually attempting to replace it, use `edit_query` first. Optionally you may also include the argument `send_raw` to set the message's formatting flag. However, if this is the only change you would like to make, you should use the endpoint `set_post_raw` instead. Returns the new message object. ## edit_query Queries the database to ensure the user can edit a given message. Requires the arguments `thread_id` and `post_id` (does not require a new body) Returns the original message object without any formatting on success. Returns a descriptive code 4 otherwise. ## message_feed Returns a special object representing all activity on the board since the argument `time`, a unix/epoch timestamp. { "threads": { "thread_id": { ...thread object }, ...more thread_id/object pairs }, "messages": [...standard message object array sorted by date] } The message objects in "messages" are the same objects returned in threads normally. They each have a thread_id parameter, and you can access metadata for these threads by the "threads" object which is also provided. The "messages" array is already sorted by submission time, newest first. The order in the threads object is undefined and you should instead use their `last_mod` attribute if you intend to list them out visually. You may optionally provide a `format` argument: this is treated the same way as the `thread_load` endpoint and you should refer to its documentation for more info. ## set_post_raw Requires the boolean argument of `value`, string argument `thread_id`, and integer argument `post_id`. `value`, when false, means that the message will be passed through message formatters before being sent to clients. When `value` is true, this means it will never go through formatters, all of its whitespace is sent to clients verbatim and expressions are not processed. The same rules for editing messages (see `edit_query`) apply here and the same error objects are returned for violations. You may optionally set this value as well when using `edit_post`, but if this is the only change you want to make to the message, using this endpoint instead is preferable. ## set_thread_pin Requires the arguments `thread_id` and `value`. `value` must be a boolean of what the pinned status should be. This method requires that the caller is logged in and has admin status on their account. Returns the same boolean you supply as `value` ## thread_create Creates a new thread and returns it. Requires the non-empty string arguments `body` and `title`. If the argument `send_raw` is specified and has a non-nil value, the OP message will never recieve special formatting. ## thread_index Return an array with all the threads, ordered by most recent activity. Requires no arguments. Optionally, you may supply the argument `include_op`, which, when non-nil, will include a "messages" key with the object, whose sole content is the original message (post_id 0). ## thread_load Returns the thread object with all of its messages loaded. Requires the argument `thread_id`. `format` may also be specified as a formatter to run the messages through. Currently only "sequential" is supported. You may also supply the parameter `op_only`. When it's value is non-nil, the messages array will only include post_id 0 (the first) ## thread_reply Creates a new reply for the given thread and returns it. Requires the string arguments `thread_id` and `body` If the argument `send_raw` is specified and has a non-nil value, the message will never recieve special formatting. -------- # Tools ## db_validate Requires the arguments `key` and `value`. Returns an object with information about the database sanity criteria for key. This can be used to validate user input in the client before trying to send it to the server. If the argument `error` is supplied with a non-nil value, the server will return a standard error object on failure instead of the special object described below. The returned object has two keys: { "bool": true/false, "description": null/"why this value is bad" } If bool == false, description is a string describing the problem. If bool == true, description is null and the provided value is safe to use. ## format_message Requires the arguments `body` and `format`. Applies `format` to `body` and returns the new object. See `thread_load` for supported specifications for `format`. ## user_map Returns an array with all registered user_ids, with the usermap object populated by their full objects. -------- # Users ## get_me Requires no arguments. Returns your internal user object, including your authorization hash. ## is_admin Requires the argument `target_user`. Returns a boolean of whether that user is an admin. ## user_get Retreive an external user object for the given `user`. Can be a user_id or user_name. ## user_is_registered Takes the argument `target_user` and returns true or false whether they are in the system or not. ## user_register Register a new user into the system and return the new object. Requires the string arguments `user_name` and `auth_hash`. Do not send User/Auth headers with this method. ## user_update Receives new parameters and assigns them to the user_object in the database. The following new parameters can be supplied: `user_name`, `auth_hash`, `quip`, `bio`, and `color`. Any number of them may be supplied. The newly updated user object is returned on success. --------