How to Create a List in SharePoint 2013 Online Using REST API

Article

Introduction

SharePoint 2013 introduces a Representational State Transfer (REST) service that is comparable to the existing SharePoint client object models. This allows the developers to interact remotely with SharePoint data by using any technology that supports REST web requests. This means that developers can perform Create, Read, Update, and Delete (CRUD) operations from their apps for SharePoint, solutions, and client applications, using REST web technologies and standard Open Data Protocol (OData) syntax. In this article you will see the following:

Create an app using the NAPA Tool in SharePoint 2013 Online.
Cross-Domain Requests.
Create a list using REST API.

Endpoint URI

https://c986.sharepoint.com/_api/web/lists

Note: If you are making cross-domain requests, then you need to add SP.AppContextSite(@target) and ?@target='<host web url>' to the endpoint URI.

HTTP Request

POST: To create entities such as lists and sites.

Create an app using NAPA Tool

Navigate to the SharePoint 2013 Online site.
Click on Site Contents in the quick launch bar.
Click on “Napa” Office 365 Development Tools.
Click on Add New Project.
Select App for SharePoint, enter the Project name and then click on Create.

Permissions

Ensure appropriate permission is provided to access the content. Click on Properties button, and then click on Permissions. Set the required permission to access the content.

Default.aspx

Replace the contents of Default.aspx with the following:

<%-- The markup and script in the following Content element will be placed in the <head>of the page --%>

<asp:content contentplaceholderid="PlaceHolderAdditionalPageHead" runat="server">

</asp:content>

<%-- The markup in the following Content element will be placed in the TitleArea of the page --%>

<asp:content contentplaceholderid="PlaceHolderPageTitleInTitleArea" runat="server">Page Title</asp:content>

<%-- The markup and script in the following Content element will be placed in the <body>of the page --%>

<asp:content contentplaceholderid="PlaceHolderPageTitleInTitleArea" runat="server">REST API Examples</asp:content>

<%-- The markup and script in the following Content element will be placed in the <body>of the page --%>

<asp:content contentplaceholderid="PlaceHolderMain" runat="server">

<div>

<p>

<b>Create List</b>

<br />

<button id="createlistbutton">Create List</button>

</p>

</div>

</asp:content>

App.js

Replace the contents of App.js with the following:

'use strict';

var hostweburl;

var appweburl;

// Load the required SharePoint libraries.

$(document).ready(function () {

//Get the URI decoded URLs.

hostweburl = decodeURIComponent(

getQueryStringParameter("SPHostUrl"));

appweburl = decodeURIComponent(

getQueryStringParameter("SPAppWebUrl"));

//Assign events to buttons

$("#createlistbutton").click(function (event) {

createList();

event.preventDefault();

});

// Resources are in URLs in the form:

// web_url/_layouts/15/resource

var scriptbase = hostweburl + "/_layouts/15/";

// Load the js file and continue to load the page with information about the list top level folders.

// SP.RequestExecutor.js to make cross-domain requests

$.getScript(scriptbase + "SP.RequestExecutor.js");

});

// Utilities

// Retrieve a query string value.

// For production purposes you may want to use a library to handle the query string.

function getQueryStringParameter(paramToRetrieve) {

var params = document.URL.split("?")[1].split("&");

for (var i = 0; i < params.length; i = i + 1) {

var singleParam = params[i].split("=");

if (singleParam[0] == paramToRetrieve) return singleParam[1];

}

// Create a new custom list

function createList() {

var listName = document.getElementById("createlistname").value;

var executor;

// Initialize the RequestExecutor with the app web URL.

// Content Type Header is used to tell server what format data in the body contains.

executor = new SP.RequestExecutor(appweburl);

executor.executeAsync({

url: appweburl + "/_api/SP.AppContextSite(@target)/web/Lists?@target='" + hostweburl + "'",

method: "POST",

body: "{ '__metadata': { 'type': 'SP.List' }, 'BaseTemplate': 100,'Description': '" + listName + "', 'Title':'" + listName + "'}",

headers: {

"content-type": "application/json; odata=verbose"

success: createListSuccessHandler,

error: createListErrorHandler

});

}

// Success Handler

function createListSuccessHandler(data) {

alert("List Created successfully")

}

// Error Handler

function createListErrorHandler(data, errorCode, errorMessage) {

alert("Could not create a new list: " + errorMessage);

}

Deploy the App

Click on Run Project.
The app will be packaged, deployed and launched.
Click on "Click here to launch your app in a new window".
Click on Trust it.
Enter the title for the list name and then click on Create List button.
A new list is created successfully in the host site.

Summary

Thus in this article you saw how to create a list in the host site using the REST API in SharePoint 2013 Online.

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