Updating SharePoint list field property

Question

I am trying to set the property ReadOnlyField to false on a column using the REST API. I am trying to do this using Postman in chrome and not able to get this to work.

The Microsoft API lists how to do this using ajax:

$.ajax({
 url: "http://<site url>/_api/web/lists(guid'da58632f-faf0-4a78-8219-99c307747741')
/fields('1d22ea11-1e32-424e-89ab-9fedbadb6ce1')
/setshowindisplayform(false)",
 type: "POST",
 headers: { "X-RequestDigest": <form digest value> },
 success: successHandler,
 error: errorHandler

});

so at first I tried retrieving the value of the field using the following url and that worked (fake SP name):

GET https://example.companyname.com/EmpPic/_api/web/lists(guid'XXX-XXX')/Fields(guid'XXX-XXX')
Headers: Accept: application/json;odata=verbose

RESULT:
{
    "d": {
    "ReadOnlyField": true
    }
}

The next step was to get the FormDigest for the POST. Here is what that looks like:

POST https://example.companyname.com/EmpPic/_api/contextinfo
Headers: Accept: application/json;odata=verbose

I got back the FormDigest and now performed the POST to set the field property:

POST https://example.companyname.com/EmpPic/_api/web/lists(guid'XXX-XXX')/Fields(guid'XXX-XXX')/ReadOnlyField(false)
Headers: X-RequestDigest: 0xE80E234234....
         Accept: application/json; odata=verbose

RESULT:
{
    "error": {
        "code": "-1, Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ResourceNotFoundException",
        "message": {
            "lang": "en-US",
            "value": "Cannot find resource for the request ReadOnlyField."
        }
    }
}

Anyone know why I am getting the error "Cannot find resource for the request ReadOnlyField"?

I've tried this: .../Fields(guid'XXX-XXX')/ReadOnlyField(False)

and the error I got was:

"The expression \"web/lists(guid'XXX-XXX')/Fields(guid'XXX-XXX')/ReadOnlyField(False)\" is not valid.

Answer 1

I wasn't able to get the REST api to work. However, I am doing this code in C#, so decided to try the client object model (CSOM). I used the following documentation:

Microsoft Client Object Model Documentation

and wrote the following code:

        ClientContext context = new ClientContext(DefaultValues.SiteUrl);

        List list = context.Web.Lists.GetByTitle(pictureLibrary);
        Field field = list.Fields.GetByInternalNameOrTitle("Picture Status");
        field.ReadOnlyField = IsReadOnlyField;

        field.UpdateAndPushChanges(true);
        context.ExecuteQuery();

Worked like a charm and required a lot less code and work. Thanks!

Answer 2

to set read-only to ID field (or other field by guid id of the field)

var data = { '__metadata': { 'type': 'SP.Field' }, 
           'ReadOnlyField': false
}

$.ajax({
   url: "http://<site url>/_api/web/lists(guid'<list guid>')/fields('1d22ea11-1e32-424e-89ab-9fedbadb6ce1')",
    //1d22ea11-1e32-424e-89ab-9fedbadb6ce1 is ID field
   type: "POST",
   data: JSON.stringify(data),
   headers: { 
     "X-RequestDigest": $('#__REQUESTDIGEST').val(),
     "accept": "application/json; odata=verbose",
     "content-type": "application/json;odata=verbose",
     "X-HTTP-Method": "PATCH",
    "If-Match": "*"
   },
   success: successHandler,
   error: errorHandler
});

to see the result go to http://<site url>/_api/web/lists(guid'<list guid>')/fields('1d22ea11-1e32-424e-89ab-9fedbadb6ce1')/ReadOnlyField

when ID column is not read-only, you can insert items with ID

Answer 3

For examples on using the REST API, see https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/dn600182.aspx.

I was able to successful use the API to set the ClientSideComponentId property of a field in SharePoint Online using the REST API as follows:

POST to [path to site]/_api/web/lists/getbytitle('[my list title]')/Field(guid'[my field guid]') Headers:

• Accept: application/json;odata=verbose
• Content-type: application/json;odata=verbose
• odata-version: '' [yes, blank]
• Origin: https://mytenant.sharepoint.com
• X-RequestDigest: [a current request digest]
• X-HTTP-Method: MERGE

Body:

{'__metadata':{'type':'SP.FieldLookup'},'ClientSideComponentId': '[my client side component guid]'}

I found hints at the possibility of doing this in https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/dev/spfx/extensions/get-started/building-simple-field-customizer.