Attaching PDF Document Through The API

pats721 · October 22, 2020, 3:37pm

Hello,

I was wondering if it was possible to attach a PDF file to an invoice through the API. I see that there is a documents POST request in the API documentation but I cannot seem to get it working. Every time I try I get an error 500 (Internal Server Error). My goal is for this PDF to be attached to the email sent from invoice ninja. If it is possible, any examples would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

hillel · October 22, 2020, 4:00pm

Hi,

It’s supported but I don’t have an example to share.

If you’re selfhosting there may be more details in the logs in storage/logs/laravel-error.log

pats721 · October 22, 2020, 4:17pm

Is there any more API documentation on this other than the one here:

https://app.invoiceninja.com/api-docs#/

I am not running a self hosted environment.

Thank you.

hillel · October 22, 2020, 4:39pm

That’s all we have for the current version.

The next version has more complete docs but it isn’t yet available on the hosted platform.

https://app.swaggerhub.com/apis/invoiceninja/invoiceninja

pats721 · October 22, 2020, 4:46pm

I do not see a document section in the documentation you provided. Is the pdf attached differently in this version of the API?

hillel · October 23, 2020, 5:43am

Here’s a sample cURL request for v5

curl -X POST https://domain.com/api/v1/invoices/wMvbmgreYA?include=documents \
  -H 'Content-Type: multipart/form-data' \
  -H 'X-API-TOKEN: TOKEN' \
  -H 'X-Requested-With: XMLHttpRequest' \
  -F _method=PUT \
  -F 'documents[]=@filename.png'

pats721 · October 23, 2020, 12:31pm

That example helps for v5 but as you said this is not supported in a non-self-hosted environment. Can you provide a curl example for a hosted environment? I tried running the following curl command using the documentation for the hosted environment and got the internal server error:

curl -X POST HOSTEDURL/public/api/v1/documents
-H "X-Ninja-Token: TOKEN" 
-H "X-Requested-With: XMLHttpRequest" 
-H "Content-Type:application/json" 
-d '{"id":1, "name":"FabrikamInc._STDINV2358.pdf", "type":"pdf", "invoice_id":7, "updated_at": 1451160233, "archived_at": 1451160233}'

hillel · October 23, 2020, 2:02pm

Sorry, I don’t have an example for v4

pats721 · October 23, 2020, 2:28pm

So how do you know that this functionality is supported in v4? The curl command I just posted above is based on the only documentation you have for this for v4. I copied exactly what to send in from the documentation and it is failing with an internal server error.

hillel · October 24, 2020, 4:55pm

I know it’s supported because I built the v4 mobile app which uses the API to upload documents, here’s the code in case it helps.

github.com

invoiceninja/flutter-client/blob/legacy/lib/data/web_client.dart#L102


  'X-Ninja-Token': token,
  'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  'X-Requested-With': 'XMLHttpRequest',
};

if (filePath != null) {
  final file = File(filePath);
  final stream = http.ByteStream(DelegatingStream.typed(file.openRead()));
  final length = await file.length();

  final request = http.MultipartRequest('POST', Uri.parse(url))
    ..fields.addAll(data)
    ..headers.addAll(headers)
    ..files.add(http.MultipartFile('file', stream, length,
        filename: basename(file.path)));

  response = await http.Response.fromStream(await request.send())
      .timeout(const Duration(minutes: 10));
} else {
  response = await http.Client()
      .post(url, body: data, headers: headers)

The v4 and v5 API’s are not compatible so I wouldn’t expect the v5 cURL example to work with v4.

pats721 · October 26, 2020, 12:38pm

Can you tell me what needs to be sent into the request exactly for v4? The curl request I am sending that is returning the error is based exactly on the documentation. Something is missing from the request. What fields need to be sent in the request to get the file to attach to the invoice?

hillel · October 26, 2020, 1:30pm

The app is expecting the file itself, in your example it looks like you’re sending JSON data?

pats721 · October 26, 2020, 4:33pm

I am sending JSON data because that is what the documentation says to send in (screenshot below). Can you please tell me what format the API is expecting the file to come in?

hillel · October 26, 2020, 4:37pm

It’s expecting multipart/form-data as shown in the v5 cURL sample

hillel · October 26, 2020, 5:42pm

If you have a chance please try this format

curl -X POST https://domain.com/api/v1/documents?invoice_id=<your_id> \
  -H 'Content-Type: multipart/form-data' \
  -H 'X-Ninja-Token: TOKEN' \
  -H 'X-Requested-With: XMLHttpRequest' \
  -F _method=PUT \
  -F 'file=@filename.png'
`

pats721 · October 26, 2020, 6:10pm

I get the same internal server error with this curl

hillel · October 27, 2020, 6:49am

Removing the _method line makes it work in my test

Note: you need to set the invoice_id, token and filename

curl -X POST https://domain.com/api/v1/documents?invoice_id=<your_id> \
  -H 'Content-Type: multipart/form-data' \
  -H 'X-Ninja-Token: TOKEN' \
  -H 'X-Requested-With: XMLHttpRequest' \
  -F 'file=@filename.png'

pats721 · October 27, 2020, 11:32am

I just tried that and I am getting the same error.

pats721 · October 27, 2020, 11:37am

I was able to find the error log in my invoice ninja environment. Here is the error I keep getting:

[2020-10-27 11:34:32] production.ERROR: ***ErrorException*** [0] : /var/www/html/bluemoontest/app/Ninja/Repositories/DocumentRepository.php [Line 62] => Undefined index: file {"context":"PHP","user_id":3,"account_id":1,"user_name":"Cameron Williams","method":"POST","user_agent":"vscode-restclient","locale":"en","ip":"96.233.106.45","count":1,"is_console":"no","is_api":"yes","db_server":"mysql","url":"api/v1/documents"} []

hillel · October 27, 2020, 12:09pm

From the error it looks like the file isn’t set, does the file exist in the same folder or is the full path specified?