Record Submission Helper
This document defines the Record Submission Helper resource.
The Record Submission Helper is a helper endpoint to aid in the creation of Submission and People resources via POST. It provides a quick and easy way to create submissions and people at the same time, eliminating the need for multiple POST operations to store that information.
Some systems may attempt to match people sent via the Record Submission Helper to existing people in the database and update their record instead of creating a new person. The method used for matching will be detailed in that system’s documentation.
When using the Record Submission Helper, tagging and list membership info may be added at the same time as well, eliminating the need for multiple POST operations to store that information.
In addition, you can indicate to the server whether to trigger additional actions, such as an autoresponse email sent back to the person who took action.
Typically, the response to a successful Record Submission Helper POST is the full representation of the submission. However, the Record Submission Helper can be used without authentication, allowing for use in frontend javascript-based applications without giving away API key secrets, for example. If no authentication is passed, the response on success will simply be the server response code (ex: 200) and an empty JSON object. On error, the server response code (ex: 404, 500) plus an error message may be returned.
Some initial implementations may only support helpers – direct RESTful access may not be supported. In those cases, the _links section may be omitted in responses.
Sections:
Endpoints and URL structures
OSDI does not specify specific endpoints and link structures for compliant systems to use. Rather, because OSDI is a HAL+JSON API, endpoints and structures are defined in the links section of each returned resource, starting with the API Entry Point link.
HAL’s link structure lets an API consumer move through API levels, resources, and collections by parsing and following links. While most systems will not change the value of their links often and obey RESTful design principles, the value of each link when that resource is retrieved is the only canonical value, and it can change at any time.
The link relation label for the Record Submission Helper is osdi:record_submission_helper.
Fields
The field names for this resource, with standard names, punctuation and capitalization, and values where appropriate.
Note: As with the entire OSDI specification, the specific fields a compliant system implements will vary between each system, as will the fields each system requires when creating or updating resources, which fields are writeable, and the operations you are allowed to perform on each resource.
Common Fields
A set of common fields that appear on all resources is included first, for reference.
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| identifiers | strings[] | A unique string array of identifiers in the format [system name]:[id]. See the general concepts document for more information about identifiers. |
Control Headers
An “osdi:control” JSON object may contain common OSDI control headers which can be used on an OSDI POST, PUT, PATCH, Helper or other function calls to modify server behavior. Read More
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| return_response | boolean | Defaults to true, if specified as false, the operation does not need to return the resource representation in the response |
Record Submission Helper Fields
A list of fields specific for POSTing via the Record Submission Helper.
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| origin_system | string | A human readable identifier of the system where this submission was created. (ex: “OSDI System”) |
| action_date | string | The date and time the submission was made by the person. |
| referrer_data | Referrer Data* | An object hash representing referrer and sourcing information about this submission. |
| person | Person* | An object hash representing the person who made the submission. |
Helper Action Functions
Helper Action Functions are additional actions that the OSDI server will perform along with inserting or updating the associated person.
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| add_tags | strings[] | An array of tag names corresponding to previously created tags to add to this person when it is created. |
| add_tags_uri | strings[] | An array of tag URIs corresponding to previously created tags to add to this person when it is created. |
| add_lists | strings[] | An array of list names corresponding to previously created lists to add to this person when it is created. |
| add_lists_uri | strings[] | An array of list URIs corresponding to previously created lists to add to this person when it is created. |
| add_questions_responses_uri | QuestionResponseObject | An array of Question Response Objects, indicating answers which should be applied to the person. |
| triggers | Triggers | An object hash representing responses a user would like to trigger from the server as part of the POST, such as sending an autoresponse email back to the person who took action with this helper. |
Question Response Object Fields
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| question | string | The identifier for the Question which is being answered |
| responses | string[] | One or more responses to the Question, if the corresponding question_type is SingleChoice or MultiChoice; should be a subset of the responses available for the question |
| value | string | A free-text response to the question, if the corresponding question_type is Paragraph. |
Triggers
Here autoresponse identifiers are handled independent of the OSDI specification’s identifier schema. The autoresponse sent is determined by the server that is being interacted with, the system, and the id.
Three types of autoresponse triggers are defined below and those types should follow this specification and format.
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| autoresponse | object | An object hash representing the autoresponse email trigger type. |
| autoresponse.enabled | boolean | A boolean indicating whether the autoresponse email should be sent or not. |
| autoresponse.identifiers | strings[] | A unique string array of identifiers in the format [system name]:[id]. |
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| sms_response | object | An object hash representing the autoresponse sms trigger type. |
| sms_response.enabled | boolean | A boolean indicating whether the autoresponse sms should be sent or not. |
| sms_response.identifiers | strings[] | A unique string array of identifiers in the format [system name]:[id]. |
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| call_response | object | An object hash representing the autoresponse call trigger type. |
| call_response.enabled | boolean | A boolean indicating whether the autoresponse call should be sent or not. |
| call_response.identifiers | strings[] | A unique string array of identifiers in the format [system name]:[id]. |
Related Objects
These JSON hashes included in the table above are broken out into their own tables for readability, rather than independent resources with their own endpoints.
Referrer Data
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| referrer_data.source | string | The source code that was used when this submission was created. Typically used to track individual links, such as a post on social media or a link in a specific email. (ex: “facebook-101016-mainpage”) |
| referrer_data.referrer | string | The code or ID representing a person or group that referred this submission. Typically used to track which person referred the person who made this signature. (ex: “jane-doe”) |
| referrer_data.website | string | The top level domain of the website where the person clicked from to then subsequently make this submission. (ex: “facebook.com”) |
| referrer_data.url | string | The specific URL where the person clicked from to then subsequently make this submission. (ex: “https://facebook.com/posts/12345”) |
Person
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| person | Person* | An inlined hash representation of a person, containing any valid fields for the Person resource. |
Related Resources
Scenarios
The scenarios below show common create (POST) operations that can be performed on this helper. While the canonical definitions of fields are above, these examples should be complete as well.
Scenario: Creating a new submission and person (POST)
Posting to the record submission helper endpoint will allow you to create a new submission and person (or update a person if the system attempts to match people posted with helpers) in one operation. The response is the submission that was created. While each implementing system will require different fields, any optional fields not included in a post operation should not be set at all by the receiving system, or should be set to default values.
Request
POST https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/forms/c945d6fe-929e-11e3-a2e9-12313d316c29/record_submission_helper
Header:
OSDI-API-Token:[your api key here]
{
"person": {
"identifiers": [
"foreign_system:1"
],
"family_name": "Edwin",
"given_name": "Labadie",
"additional_name": "Marques",
"origin_system": "OpenSupporter",
"email_addresses": [
{
"address":"test-3@example.com",
"primary": true,
"address_type": "Personal"
}
],
"postal_addresses": [
{
"primary": true,
"address_lines": [
"935 Ed Lock"
],
"locality": "New Dudley",
"region": "MN",
"postal_code": "17678",
"country": "RU",
"address_type": "Home",
"status": "Verified"
}
],
"phone_numbers": [
{
"primary": true,
"number": 19876543210,
"number_type": "Mobile",
"sms_capable": true
}
],
"gender": "Male"
},
"identifiers": [
"foreign_system:1"
],
"origin_system": "OpenSupporter",
"action_date": "2014-03-18T11:02:15Z",
"referrer_data": {
"source": "facebook-101016-mainpage",
"referrer": "jane-doe",
"website": "facebook.com",
"url": "https://facebook.com/posts/12345"
},
"triggers": {
"autoresponse": {
"identifiers": [
"system_1:eb84f0d01dec3b1ffb9e4dca406fa45e",
"system_2:15117b282328146ac6afebaa8acd80e7"
],
"enabled": true
},
"sms_response": {
"identifiers": [
"system_1:efe398db3439be6bbf00d90e693ec3a3"
],
"enabled": true
},
"call_response": {
"identifiers": [
"system_1:83069490-8a17-4131-b13e-f9a44d2b7646"
],
"enabled": true
}
},
"add_tags": [
"volunteer",
"donor"
],
"add_tags_uri": [
"https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/tags/d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-d0ec501b0bc3"
],
"add_lists": [
"supporters"
],
"add_lists_uri": [
"https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/lists/d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-d0ec501b0bc3"
],
"add_questions_responses_uri": [
{
"question": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/questions/c945d6fe-929e-11e3-a2e9-12313d316c29",
"responses": [ "r1", "r2", "r2"]
},
{
"question": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/questions/c945d6fe-929e-11e3-a2e9-12313d316c2a",
"value": "Heard about the candidate at the Labor Day Picnic"
}
]
}
Response
200 OK
Content-Type: application/hal+json
Cache-Control: max-age=0, private, must-revalidate
{
"identifiers": [
"osdi_sample_system:d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-de9uemdse",
"foreign_system:1"
],
"created_date": "2014-03-20T21:04:31Z",
"modified_date": "2014-03-20T21:04:31Z",
"action_date": "2014-03-18T11:02:15Z",
"origin_system": "OpenSupporter",
"referrer_data": {
"source": "facebook-101016-mainpage",
"referrer": "jane-doe",
"website": "facebook.com",
"url": "https://facebook.com/posts/12345"
},
"_links": {
"self": {
"href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/forms/c945d6fe-929e-11e3-a2e9-12313d316c29/submissions/d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-de9uemdse"
},
"osdi:form": {
"href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/forms/c945d6fe-929e-11e3-a2e9-12313d316c29"
},
"osdi:person": {
"href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/people/adb951cb-51f9-420e-b7e6-de953195ec86"
},
"osdi:answers": {
"href": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/forms/c945d6fe-929e-11e3-a2e9-12313d316c29/submissions/d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-de9uemdse/answers"
}
}
}
Scenario: Creating a new submission and person without authentication (POST)
Posting to the record submission helper endpoint without authentication will allow you to create a new submission and person (or update a person if the system attempts to match people posted with helpers) in one operation, but without giving away API key secrets or leaking data, so this method is appropriate for frontend javascript applications. The response on success will simply be the server response code (ex: 200) and an empty JSON object. On error, the server response code (ex: 404, 500) plus an error message may be returned. While each implementing system will require different fields, any optional fields not included in a POST operation should not be set at all by the receiving system, or should be set to default values.
Request
POST https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/forms/c945d6fe-929e-11e3-a2e9-12313d316c29/record_submission_helper
{
"person": {
"identifiers": [
"foreign_system:1"
],
"family_name": "Edwin",
"given_name": "Labadie",
"additional_name": "Marques",
"origin_system": "OpenSupporter",
"email_addresses": [
{
"address":"test-3@example.com",
"primary": true,
"address_type": "Personal"
}
],
"postal_addresses": [
{
"primary": true,
"address_lines": [
"935 Ed Lock"
],
"locality": "New Dudley",
"region": "MN",
"postal_code": "17678",
"country": "RU",
"address_type": "Home",
"status": "Verified"
}
],
"phone_numbers": [
{
"primary": true,
"number": 19876543210,
"number_type": "Mobile",
"sms_capable": true
}
],
"gender": "Male"
},
"identifiers": [
"foreign_system:1"
],
"origin_system": "OpenSupporter",
"action_date": "2014-03-18T11:02:15Z",
"referrer_data": {
"source": "facebook-101016-mainpage",
"referrer": "jane-doe",
"website": "facebook.com",
"url": "https://facebook.com/posts/12345"
},
"triggers": {
"autoresponse": {
"identifiers": [
"system_1:eb84f0d01dec3b1ffb9e4dca406fa45e",
"system_2:15117b282328146ac6afebaa8acd80e7"
],
"enabled": true
},
"sms_response": {
"identifiers": [
"system_1:efe398db3439be6bbf00d90e693ec3a3"
],
"enabled": true
},
"call_response": {
"identifiers": [
"system_1:83069490-8a17-4131-b13e-f9a44d2b7646"
],
"enabled": true
}
},
"add_tags": [
"volunteer",
"donor"
],
"add_tags_uri": [
"https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/tags/d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-d0ec501b0bc3"
],
"add_lists": [
"supporters"
],
"add_lists_uri": [
"https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/lists/d91b4b2e-ae0e-4cd3-9ed7-d0ec501b0bc3"
],
"add_questions_responses_uri": [
{
"question": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/questions/c945d6fe-929e-11e3-a2e9-12313d316c29",
"responses": [ "r1", "r2", "r2"]
},
{
"question": "https://osdi-sample-system.org/api/v1/questions/c945d6fe-929e-11e3-a2e9-12313d316c2a",
"value": "Heard about the candidate at the Labor Day Picnic"
}
]
}
Response
200 OK
Content-Type: application/hal+json
Cache-Control: max-age=0, private, must-revalidate
{}