Make a RESTful API Call to SharePoint Online from Console program

Question

I knew how to make a RESTful API call to SharePoint 2013 OnLine from SharePoint APP (Provided-Host App). Like get List from Site. There are already many samples in here.

Because the TokenHelper can handle the OAuth authentication for the APP. But I wondered If this can be made from a C# Console Program. If it can't be made by OAuth. Any other ways of Authentication? Thanks.

Answer 1

In order to consume SharePoint REST service using .NET you could consider the following approaches:

• HttpClient - Provides a base class for sending HTTP requests and receiving HTTP responses from a resource identified by a URI. (.NET Framework 4.5)
• WebClient - provides common methods for sending data to and receiving data from a resource identified by a URI. (.NET Framework 1.1)
• HttpWebRequest - provides an HTTP-specific implementation of the WebRequest class, more low-level then the previous ones

All of them allows to perform CRUD operations in SharePoint Online.

About SharePoint Online authentication

Since SharePoint Online (SPO) uses claims based authentication, you could consider the following options:

• SharePointOnlineCredentials class as part of SharePoint Online Client Components SDK provides credentials to access SharePoint Online resources.

• utilize a custom implementation, for example as explained in this great article

Example

The following example demonstrate how to retrieve List using WebClient:

    public static JToken GetList(Uri webUri, ICredentials credentials,string listTitle)
    {
        using (var client = new WebClient())
        {
            client.Headers.Add("X-FORMS_BASED_AUTH_ACCEPTED", "f");
            client.Credentials = credentials;
            client.Headers.Add(HttpRequestHeader.ContentType, "application/json;odata=verbose");
            client.Headers.Add(HttpRequestHeader.Accept, "application/json;odata=verbose");
            var endpointUri = new Uri(webUri, string.Format("/_api/web/lists/getbytitle('{0}')", listTitle));
            var result = client.DownloadString(endpointUri);
            var t = JToken.Parse(result);
            return t["d"];
        }
    }

Dependency: Json.NET library

Usage

The example demonstrates how to retrieve Contacts List and print its title:

static void Main(string[] args)
{
      var webUri = new Uri("https://contoso.sharepoint.com");
      const string userName = "[email protected]";
      const string password = "password";
      var securePassword = new SecureString();
      foreach (var c in password)
      {
          securePassword.AppendChar(c);
      }
      var credentials = new SharePointOnlineCredentials(userName, securePassword);

      var list = GetList(webUri,credentials,"Contacts");
      //print List title
      Console.WriteLine(list["Title"]);
}