API-Alt

How the API works #

Since ChurchTools controls all communication via AJAX, every function can also be called via API.

For example https://xxx.church.tools/index.php?q=churchresource/ajax

And then via POST: func=getBookings (returns all bookings ) or e.g. func=getMasterData returns all necessary master data.

It is important that the call is sent via POST command and that the desired function is contained in the parameter “func=functioname”. There are different calls per module. This can be looked up under system/modulename/classes/CTModulename.class.php.

Further examples of API calls #

For example, Login via

https://xxx.church.tools/?q=login

Then POST the parameters:

email

password

directtool=yes

Query from all persons

https://xxx.church.tools/?q=churchdb/ajax&func=getAllPersonData

Query a person

https://xxx.church.tools/?q=churchdb/ajax&func=getPersonDetails&id=736

Example of an API call in PHP #

<?php
/** * Example API call to ChurchTools Installation for PHP. The cookies will be stored to current directory
* Author: Jens Martin Rauen
* Copyright: 2015
**/

/**
* Get saved Cookies from filesystem and returns an array
* @return array of Cookies in string
*/
function getCookies() {
$aCookies = glob("*.txt");
$n = count($aCookies);
if ($n !== 0) {
$counter = 0;

while ($counter < $n) {
$sCombined .= file_get_contents($aCookies["$counter"]) . ';';
++$counter;
}
return $sCombined;
} else {
return $n;
}
}

/**
* Save cookies from $aRH (http response header) to the filesystem
* @param $aRH
*/
function saveCookies($aRH) {
$n = count($aRH); // Number of Pieces
$counter = 0;
while ($counter <= $n) {
if(preg_match('@Set-Cookie: (([^=]+)=[^;]+)@i', $aRH["$counter"], $matches)) {
$fp = fopen($matches["2"].'.txt', 'w');
fwrite($fp, $matches["1"]);
fclose($fp);
}
++$counter;
}
}

/**
* Send request to $url with $data
* @param [type] $url [description]
* @param [type] $data [description]
*/
function sendRequest($url, $data) {
$options1 = array(
'http' => array(
'header' => "Cookie: ".getCookies() . "rnContent-type: application/x-www-form-urlencodedrn",
'method' => 'POST',
'content' => http_build_query($data),
),
);
$context = stream_context_create($options1);
$result = file_get_contents($url, false, $context);
print_r($result);
saveCookies($http_response_header);
}

// Login to mghh churchtools
$url = 'https://mghh.churchtools.de/?q=login';
$data = array('email' => 'sabine@mghh.churchtools.de', 'password' => '1234',
'directtool' => 'yes');
sendRequest($url, $data);

// Now get all Person data
$url = 'https://mghh.churchtools.de/index.php?q=churchdb/ajax';
$data = array('func' => 'getAllPersonData');
sendRequest($url, $data);