Generate a deleteX() method for use with PATCH to delete a field #466
Comments
wonderfly
added
type: feature request
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From rmis...@google.com on April 09, 2012 07:42:32 This is unfortunately not a trivial implementation. My original logic was to do something like: set{% camel_case param.wireName %}(com.google.api.client.util.Data.NULL_{{ param.codeType|upper }}); but this does not work because the type of the parameter may not be a primitive type. Eg: For one parameter I ran into List. I also think it is not that hard for users to figure out resource.setComment(Data.NULL_STRING) but to help them out we could (only for Patch methods) generate an additional comment in the javadoc pointing them to com.google.api.client.util.Data for JSON null values. What do you think? |
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From yan...@google.com on April 10, 2012 05:17:20 In general you can call Data.nullOf() to get the JSON null object for any type. I do think it is hard for users to figure it out. As you say, this is "unfortunately not trivial". Adding a comment to the JavaDoc is reasonable, but my concern is that:
I do see the down-side of adding more clutter in terms of extra generated methods. This is particularly true in the case where a field cannot be modified. We may be able to solve this problem though: there are plans to add information in Discovery about which fields are modifiable. Perhaps we should wait for that before implementing deleteX()? |
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From rmis...@google.com on April 16, 2012 05:16:05 Yes it makes sense to wait for that before implementing deleteX(), we do not want to provide deleteX() if X cannot be modified, this will lead to confusion. Do not see how to mark that we have a dependency for this bug, lowering priority instead. Labels: -Priority-Medium Priority-Low |
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From rmis...@google.com on May 16, 2012 06:24:37 Labels: -Milestone-CodeGenVersion1.6.0 Milestone-CodeGenVersion1.7.0 |
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From rmis...@google.com on May 30, 2012 12:26:30 Labels: -Milestone-CodeGenVersion1.7.0 Milestone-CodeGenVersion1.8.0 |
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From yan...@google.com on August 02, 2012 07:38:13 Labels: -Milestone-CodeGenVersion1.8.0 Milestone-CodeGenVersion1.9.0 |
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From yan...@google.com on September 26, 2012 05:43:48 Status: Accepted |
From yan...@google.com on April 06, 2012 14:03:37
External references, such as a standards document, or specification? http://googlecode.blogspot.com/2011/07/lightning-fast-performance-tips-for.html https://developers.google.com/google-apps/tasks/performance#patch Java environments (e.g. Java 6, Android 2.3, App Engine, or All)? All Please describe the feature requested. See the example from the Tasks API documentation that shows deleting a "comment" field from some fictional "demo" API:
PATCH https://www.googleapis.com/demo/v1/324?fields=etag,title,comment,characteristics Authorization: /* Auth token goes here */
Content-Type: application/json
If-Match: "ETagString"
{
"etag": "ETagString"
"title": "", /* Clear the value of the title by setting it to the empty string. /
"comment": null, / Delete the comment by replacing its value with null. /
"characteristics": { / Omit the length field, since it's not changing. /
"length": "short",
"level": "10", / Modify the level value. /
"followers": ["Jo", "Liz"], / Replace the followers array to delete Will and add Liz. /
"accuracy": "high" / Add a new characteristic. */
},
}
In order to accomplish this with the generated service-specific library, you would have to do something like this:
resource.setComment(Data.NULL_STRING);
but this is not intuitive. Most users will honestly give up trying by this point.
What might be more intuitive is if we generated a method like deleteComment() that would encapsulate that logic, e.g.:
/** Deletes the comment field for use with a PATCH request. */
public Resource deleteComment() {
return setComment(Data.NULL_STRING);
}
Trivial to implement for us, and hopefully be more intuitive to find and use.
Original issue: http://code.google.com/p/google-api-java-client/issues/detail?id=451
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