Hello

I'm building a set of CRUID functions based on PHP with CURL (https://secure.php.net/manual/de/function.curl-setopt.php) based on Kinvey's REST API.

In the end I would like to post it here for everyone but first they all need to work properly.

So far most functions work as they should. I'm struggling on the UPSERT (update/insert) functionality and can't find a proper way to make it work.

Pretty obvious I'm doing something wrong. My document source for this is from: https://devcenter.kinvey.com/rest/guides/datastore#modifiers

I have tried to find a proper way to make UPSERT working but no option seems to be reliable.

The tests I've done are all processed with these base CURL settings:

curl_setopt ($ch, CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION, CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1);

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array("Content-Type: application/json","Authorization: Kinvey ".<currentauthtoken>, "X-Kinvey-API-Version: 3" ));

curl_setopt ($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, json_encode(<myInsUpdJson>) );

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);

Based on the documentation I should use 'PUT' for UPSERT operation. Just because I coudln't make it work I've tried all available CURL options:

- curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST, 'PUT'); // based on documentation

- curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_PUT, true); // based on documentation

- curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true); 

- curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPGET, true);

Furthermore I have tested the INSERT and UPDATE behaviour based on the 4 mentioned settings:

- Force INSERT with no ID set: curl_setopt ($ch, CURLOPT_URL, "https://baas.kinvey.com/appdata/kid_xxxxxxxxx/mycollection/")

- Force UPDATE on existing record with ID = 12345: curl_setopt ($ch, CURLOPT_URL, "https://baas.kinvey.com/appdata/kid_xxxxxxxxx/mycollection/12345")

Here are the results depending on using the 4 mentioned operator settings each with INSERT and UPDATE:

Using: curl_setopt( $ch, CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST, 'PUT') :

Sending no ID: curl_setopt ($ch, CURLOPT_URL, "https://baas.kinvey.com/appdata/kid_xxxxxxxxx/mycollection/") 

-> Expectation: Create a new record (since ID is not set)

-> Behaviour: Returned error message: {"error":"The request was not understood.","request":"PUT /appdata/kid_xxxxxxxxx/mycollection/"} 

Sending ID: curl_setopt ($ch, CURLOPT_URL, "https://baas.kinvey.com/appdata/kid_xxxxxxxxx/mycollection/12345")

-> Expectation on new ID: Create new record

-> Behaviour: New record created

(return: complete inserted record)

-> Expectation on updating existing ID: Update existing record

-> Behaviour: Existing record updated

(return: complete updated record)

Using: curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_PUT, true) :

Sending no ID: curl_setopt ($ch, CURLOPT_URL, "https://baas.kinvey.com/appdata/kid_xxxxxxxxx/mycollection/") 

-> Expectation: Create a new record (since ID was not set)

-> Behaviour: Returned error message: {"error":"The request was not understood.","request":"PUT /appdata/kid_xxxxxxxxx/mycollection/"} 

Sending ID: curl_setopt ($ch, CURLOPT_URL, "https://baas.kinvey.com/appdata/kid_xxxxxxxxx/mycollection/12345")

-> Expectation: Create a new record (since ID is not set)

-> Behaviour: A record was created but only with _id, _act, _kmd

(return: JSON string with only _id, _act and _kmd) - all other columns are empty

-> Expectation on updating existing ID: Update existing record

-> Behaviour: Update existing record (all columns expect _id, act_, _kmd are emptied)

(return: JSON string with only _id, _act and _kmd) 

Using: curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true) :

Sending no ID: curl_setopt ($ch, CURLOPT_URL, "https://baas.kinvey.com/appdata/kid_xxxxxxxxx/mycollection/") 

-> Expectation: Create a new record (since ID is not set)

-> Behaviour: Record was created

(return: JSON string with Inserted record)

Sending ID: curl_setopt ($ch, CURLOPT_URL, "https://baas.kinvey.com/appdata/kid_xxxxxxxxx/mycollection/12345") 

-> Expectation on updating existing ID: Update existing record

-> Behaviour: Returned error message: {"error":"The request was not understood.","request":"POST /appdata/kid_SkYzM4SHM/games/12345"}

Using: curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPGET, true) :

Sending no ID: curl_setopt ($ch, CURLOPT_URL, "https://baas.kinvey.com/appdata/kid_xxxxxxxxx/mycollection/")

-> Expectation: Create a new record (since ID is not set)

-> Behaviour: Record was created

(return: JSON string with Inserted record)

-> Expectation on updating existing ID: Update existing record

-> Behaviour: Returned error message: {"error":"The request was not understood.","request":"POST /appdata/kid_SkYzM4SHM/games/12345"}

The most obvious CURL option for UPSERTs that should be used is probably " $ch, CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST, 'PUT')" but it expects an ID to be sent otherwise error. In my case I don't want to send a unique _id and let Kinvey create one.

Is there something else I have to consider to make it work properly?

Regards

Hi Pranav

Excellent and precise explanation that makes everything clear, thank you! I was not aware that sending an _id is mandatory using PUT. Working with POST offers both option and works great! It's just a pleasure working with Kinvey, removing all the "pain" I have with the big cloud providers!

Hmmm, I was a bit too quick. I just figured out that Kinvey doesn't like an existing _id in the sent JSON structure while using POST:

The Kinvey server encountered an unexpected error. Please retry your request","debug":"An entity with that _id already exists in this collection"}

The insert works fine if there is no '_id' with the sent _id value. The second time (after initial insert) I got the error message above.

Conclusion so far:

- Use POST for new records

- Use PUT for existing records (to be updated)