309 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
309 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
---
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info: For assistance with this Style Guide page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments-to-other-projects-and-subjects.
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stage: none
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group: unassigned
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description: 'Writing styles, markup, formatting, and other standards for the GitLab RESTful APIs.'
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---
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# Documenting REST API resources
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REST API resources are documented in Markdown under
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[`/doc/api`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/api). Each
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resource has its own Markdown file, which is linked from
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[`api_resources.md`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/doc/api/api_resources.md).
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When modifying the Markdown, also update the corresponding
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[OpenAPI definition](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/api/openapi)
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if one exists for the resource. If not, consider creating one. Match the latest
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[OpenAPI 3.0.x specification](https://swagger.io/specification/). (For more
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information, see the discussion in this
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[issue](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/16023#note_370901810).)
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In the Markdown doc for a resource (AKA endpoint):
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- Every method must have the REST API request. For example:
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```plaintext
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GET /projects/:id/repository/branches
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```
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- Every method must have a detailed [description of the attributes](#method-description).
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- Every method must have a cURL example.
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- Every method must have a detailed [description of the response body](#response-body-description).
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- Every method must have a response body example (in JSON format).
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- If an attribute is available only to higher level tiers than the other
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attributes, add the appropriate inline [tier badge](styleguide/index.md#product-tier-badges).
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Put the badge in the **Attribute** column, like the
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`**(<tier>)**` code in the following template.
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After a new API documentation page is added, [add an entry in the global navigation](site_architecture/global_nav.md#add-a-navigation-entry). [Example](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-docs/-/merge_requests/3497).
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## API topic template
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Use the following template to help you get started. Be sure to list any
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required attributes first in the table.
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````markdown
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## API name
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> Version history note.
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One or two sentence description of what endpoint does.
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### Method title
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> Version history note.
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Description of the method.
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```plaintext
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METHOD /endpoint
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```
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Supported attributes:
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| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
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|:-------------------------|:---------|:---------|:----------------------|
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| `attribute` | datatype | Yes | Detailed description. |
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| `attribute` **(<tier>)** | datatype | No | Detailed description. |
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| `attribute` | datatype | No | Detailed description. |
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| `attribute` | datatype | No | Detailed description. |
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If successful, returns [`<status_code>`](rest/index.md#status-codes) and the following
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response attributes:
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| Attribute | Type | Description |
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|:-------------------------|:---------|:----------------------|
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| `attribute` | datatype | Detailed description. |
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| `attribute` **(<tier>)** | datatype | Detailed description. |
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Example request:
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```shell
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curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/endpoint?parameters"
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```
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Example response:
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```json
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[
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{
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}
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]
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```
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````
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## Version history
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Add [version history](versions.md#documenting-version-specific-features)
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to describe new or updated API calls.
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To add version history for an individual attribute, include it in the version history
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for the section. For example:
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```markdown
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### Edit a widget
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> `widget_message` [introduced](<link-to-issue>) in GitLab 14.3.
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```
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If the API or attribute is deployed behind a feature flag,
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[include the feature flag information](feature_flags.md) in the version history.
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## Deprecations
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To document the deprecation of an API endpoint, follow the steps to
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[deprecate a page or topic](versions.md#deprecate-a-page-or-topic).
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To deprecate an attribute:
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1. Add a version history note.
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```markdown
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> - `widget_name` [deprecated](<link-to-issue>) in GitLab 14.7.
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```
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1. Add inline deprecation text to the description.
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```markdown
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| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
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|:--------------|:-------|:---------|:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| `widget_name` | string | No | [Deprecated](<link-to-issue>) in GitLab 14.7 and is planned for removal in 15.4. Use `widget_id` instead. The name of the widget. |
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```
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To widely announce a deprecation, or if it's a breaking change,
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[update the REST API deprecations and removals page](../../api/rest/deprecations.md).
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## Method description
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Use the following table headers to describe the methods. Attributes should
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always be in code blocks using backticks (`` ` ``).
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Sort the table by required attributes first, then alphabetically.
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```markdown
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| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
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|:-----------------------------|:--------------|:---------|:----------------------------------------------------|
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| `title` | string | Yes | Title of the issue. |
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| `assignee_ids` **(PREMIUM)** | integer array | No | IDs of the users to assign the issue to. |
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| `confidential` | boolean | No | Sets the issue to confidential. Default is `false`. |
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```
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Rendered example:
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| Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
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|:-----------------------------|:--------------|:---------|:----------------------------------------------------|
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| `title` | string | Yes | Title of the issue. |
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| `assignee_ids` **(PREMIUM)** | integer array | No | IDs of the users to assign the issue to. |
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| `confidential` | boolean | No | Sets the issue to confidential. Default is `false`. |
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For information about writing attribute descriptions, see the [GraphQL API description style guide](../api_graphql_styleguide.md#description-style-guide).
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## Response body description
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Start the description with the following sentence, replacing `status code` with the
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relevant [HTTP status code](../../api/rest/index.md#status-codes), for example:
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```markdown
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If successful, returns [`200 OK`](../../api/rest/index.md#status-codes) and the
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following response attributes:
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```
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Use the following table headers to describe the response bodies. Attributes should
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always be in code blocks using backticks (`` ` ``).
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If the attribute is a complex type, like another object, represent sub-attributes
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with dots (`.`), like `project.name` or `projects[].name` in case of an array.
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Sort the table alphabetically.
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```markdown
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| Attribute | Type | Description |
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|:-----------------------------|:--------------|:------------------------------------------|
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| `assignee_ids` **(PREMIUM)** | integer array | IDs of the users to assign the issue to. |
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| `confidential` | boolean | Whether the issue is confidential or not. |
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| `title` | string | Title of the issue. |
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```
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Rendered example:
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| Attribute | Type | Description |
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|:-----------------------------|:--------------|:------------------------------------------|
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| `assignee_ids` **(PREMIUM)** | integer array | IDs of the users to assign the issue to. |
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| `confidential` | boolean | Whether the issue is confidential or not. |
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| `title` | string | Title of the issue. |
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For information about writing attribute descriptions, see the [GraphQL API description style guide](../api_graphql_styleguide.md#description-style-guide).
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## cURL commands
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- Use `https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/` as an endpoint.
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- Wherever needed use this personal access token: `<your_access_token>`.
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- Always put the request first. `GET` is the default so you don't have to
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include it.
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- Wrap the URL in double quotes (`"`).
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- Prefer to use examples using the personal access token and don't pass data of
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username and password.
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| Methods | Description |
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|:------------------------------------------------|:-------------------------------------------------------|
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| `--header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>"` | Use this method as is, whenever authentication needed. |
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| `--request POST` | Use this method when creating new objects. |
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| `--request PUT` | Use this method when updating existing objects. |
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| `--request DELETE` | Use this method when removing existing objects. |
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## cURL Examples
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The following sections include a set of [cURL](https://curl.se/) examples
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you can use in the API documentation.
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WARNING:
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Do not use information for real users, URLs, or tokens. For documentation, refer to our
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relevant style guide sections on [Fake user information](styleguide/index.md#fake-user-information),
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[Fake URLs](styleguide/index.md#fake-urls), and [Fake tokens](styleguide/index.md#fake-tokens).
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### Simple cURL command
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Get the details of a group:
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```shell
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curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/gitlab-org"
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```
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### cURL example with parameters passed in the URL
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Create a new project under the authenticated user's namespace:
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```shell
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curl --request POST --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects?name=foo"
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```
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### Post data using cURL's `--data`
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Instead of using `--request POST` and appending the parameters to the URI, you
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can use cURL's `--data` option. The example below will create a new project
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`foo` under the authenticated user's namespace.
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```shell
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curl --data "name=foo" --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects"
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```
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### Post data using JSON content
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This example creates a new group. Be aware of the use of single (`'`) and double
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(`"`) quotes.
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```shell
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curl --request POST --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
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--data '{"path": "my-group", "name": "My group"}' "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups"
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```
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For readability, you can also set up the `--data` by using the following format:
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```shell
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curl --request POST \
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--url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups" \
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--header "content-type: application/json" \
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--header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
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--data '{
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"path": "my-group",
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"name": "My group"
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}'
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```
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### Post data using form-data
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Instead of using JSON or URL-encoding data, you can use `multipart/form-data` which
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properly handles data encoding:
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```shell
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curl --request POST --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" --form "title=ssh-key" \
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--form "key=ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EA..." "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/users/25/keys"
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```
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The above example is run by and administrator and will add an SSH public key
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titled `ssh-key` to user's account which has an ID of 25.
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### Escape special characters
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Spaces or slashes (`/`) may sometimes result to errors, thus it is recommended
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to escape them when possible. In the example below we create a new issue which
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contains spaces in its title. Observe how spaces are escaped using the `%20`
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ASCII code.
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```shell
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curl --request POST --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/42/issues?title=Hello%20GitLab"
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```
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Use `%2F` for slashes (`/`).
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### Pass arrays to API calls
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The GitLab API sometimes accepts arrays of strings or integers. For example, to
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exclude specific users when requesting a list of users for a project, you would
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do something like this:
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```shell
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curl --request PUT --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" --data "skip_users[]=<user_id>" \
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--data "skip_users[]=<user_id>" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/<project_id>/users"
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```
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