Implementing JSON REST with BLOBs in PHP - The practical way.

I have retrenched, somewhat, (if my memory of what I've been writing serves me correctly.)

I have decided to skip the use of the PUT method until PHP supports it better.

I would like to see full $_GET, $_POST, $_PUT, $_DELETE, $_COOKIE, $_OPTION, $_HEAD, $_REQUEST, etc request body support for the appropriate methods in PHP. From what I've read, this is within the full specs of the HTTP protocol. I'm pursuing it with the PHP internals group. If I can't get it there, I will eventually hack PHP myself or pay someone to do it.

Unfortunately for now, the only way to send anything in the body of a request, ie JSON objects or arrays, is via POST method.

So, since I don't want to waste the time to create my own message body parser for the non POST methods, (since they exist already in the POST method in PHP,) I will only use the following:

[note: if a method is in front of the URL, it is the (ACTUAL METHOD) ]

[note: this does not use 'pretty URLs'. This will be implemented later, using symfony. I will post a new update of what that looks like when I have it working. Self written code or other MVC frameworks can also implement URL rewriting/pretty URLs]

[Note: any error in any of mulitple or single objects causes all objects to be rejected, similarly to a database transaction]
=================================================

----------------------------------------------
GET, i.e. READ of C.R.U.D.
----------------------------------------------
(nothing in body of request, only in URL)
----------------------------------------------
{the collection's intial page}
....http://www.website.tld/collection-name/

{the collection's schema}
....http://www.website.tld/collection-name/?schema=TRUE

{blank object for editing and submitting as new object}
....http://www.website.tld/collection-name/?new=TRUE

{the collection paged}
....http://www.website.tld/collection-name/?start=start_id

{the collection search function}
....http://www.website.tld/collection-name/search/parameter/value/parameter/value etc

{a single JSON entity}
....http://www.website.tld/collection-name/id/?id=xxx





---------------------------------------------
POST, i.e. Create of C.R.U.D. (parameters only in body)
----------------------------------------------
(No id field in URL or allowed in new objects)
----------------------------------------------
{a new object}
....http://www.website.tld/collection-name/
........a single JSON object in POST variable named "JSON[]" or "JSON"
........individual BLOB fields in POST variable named for field
............"blob-fieldA", "blob-fieldB", etc. or "blob-fieldA[]", "blob-fieldB[]"

{a set of new objects}
....http://www.website.tld/collection-name/
........a single JSON object in POST variable named "JSON[]" or "JSON",
............but the contents is a JSON array of JSON objects
........individual BLOB fields per JSON object listed as an adjacent set,
............ sets listed same order as objects
............each in POST variable array named for field
............"blob-fieldA[]", "blob-fieldB[]"

{a set of new objects}
....http://www.website.tld/collection-name/
........multiple JSON objects each in a POST variable named "JSON[]""
........individual BLOB fields per JSON object
............each in POST variable array named for field
............"blob-fieldA[]", "blob-fieldB[]"



----------------------------------------------
PUT, i.e. UPDATE of C.R.U.D (also know as edit)
----------------------------------------------
(parameters only in body, except id field is required
as GET variable in URL for single edited object)
[NOTE: partial updates allowed. Only fields present in
submitted object will be changed. To set a field
capable of being NULL to NULL, set field in
submitted object equal to NULL, no quotes]
----------------------------------------------
{a single edited object}
......(POST)http://www.website.tld/collection-name/id/?id=xxx&_method=PUT
........a single JSON object in POST variable named "JSON[]" or "JSON"
........individual BLOB fields (as desired) in POST variable named for field
............"blob-fieldA", "blob-fieldB", etc. or "blob-fieldA[]", "blob-fieldB[]"

{a set of edited objects}
....(POST)http://www.website.tld/collection-name/?_method=PUT
........a single JSON object in POST variable named "JSON[]" or "JSON",
............but the contents is a JSON array of JSON objects
........individual BLOB fields per JSON object listed as an adjacent set,
............ sets listed same order as objects
............each in POST variable array named for field
............"blob-fieldA[]", "blob-fieldB[]"

{a set of new objects}
....http://www.website.tld/collection-name/?_method=PUT
........multiple JSON objects each in a POST variable named "JSON[]""
........individual BLOB fields per JSON object
............each in POST variable array named for field
............"blob-fieldA[]", "blob-fieldB[]"



----------------------------------------------
DELETE, i.e. DELETE of C.R.U.D
----------------------------------------------
(parameters only in body, except id field is required
as GET variable in URL for single deleted object)
----------------------------------------------
{a single deleted object}
......(DELETE)http://www.website.tld/collection-name/id/?id=xxx

{a single deleted object}
....(POST)http://www.website.tld/collection-name/id/?id=xxx&_method=DELETE

{a set of deleted objects}
....(POST)http://www.website.tld/collection-name/?_method=PUT
........a single JSON object in POST variable named "JSON[]" or "JSON",
............but the contents is a JSON array of JSON Object ids