How to Get All The Top Level Folders From the Website in SharePoint 2013 Online Using REST API

Introduction

SharePoint 2013 introduces a Representational State Transfer (REST) service that is comparable to the existing SharePoint client object models. This allows 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.
  • Get all the top level folders from the host site using REST API.

Endpoint URI

http://sitename/_api/web/folders

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:

GET:
Read a Resource.

Use the following procedure to create an app using the NAPA Tool:

  1. Navigate to the SharePoint 2013 Online site.
  2. Click on Site Contents in the quick launch bar.
  3. Click on “Napa” Office 365 Development Tools.

    Napa Office 365 Development Tools
     
  4. Click on Add New Project.

    Add New Project
     
  5. Select App for SharePoint, enter the Project name and then click on Create.

    Creating App for SharePoint

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.

Permissions

Default.aspx

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

<asp:Content ContentPlaceHolderID="PlaceHolderAdditionalPageHead" runat="server">

<script type="text/javascript" src="https://ajax.aspnetcdn.com/ajax/jQuery/jquery-1.9.1.min.js"></script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="/_layouts/15/sp.runtime.js"></script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="/_layouts/15/sp.js"></script>

<!-- Add your CSS styles to the following file -->

<link rel="Stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../Content/App.css" />

<!-- Add your JavaScript to the following file -->

<script type="text/javascript" src="../Scripts/App.js"></script>

</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>Folders</b>

            <br />

            <select style="height:300px; width:310px" multiple="multiple" id="selectFolders"></select>

        </p>

    </div>

</asp:Content>

App.js

Replace the contenst 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"));

 

    // 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 folders.

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

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

});

 

//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];

    }

}

 

function loadPage() {

    getFolders();

}

 

//Retrieve all of the folders

function getFolders() {

    var executor;

 

    // Initialize the RequestExecutor with the app web URL.

    executor = new SP.RequestExecutor(appweburl);

 

    executor.executeAsync({

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

        method: "GET",

        headers: {

            "Accept""application/json; odata=verbose"

        },

        success: getFoldersSuccessHandler,

        error: getFoldersErrorHandler

    });

}

 

//Populate the selectFolders control after retrieving all of the folders.

function getFoldersSuccessHandler(data) {

    var jsonObject = JSON.parse(data.body);

    var selectFolders = document.getElementById("selectFolders");

 

    if (selectFolders.hasChildNodes()) {

        while (selectFolders.childNodes.length >= 1) {

            selectFolders.removeChild(selectFolders.firstChild);

        }

    }

 

    var results = jsonObject.d.results;

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

        var selectOption = document.createElement("option");

        selectOption.value = results[i].Name;

        selectOption.innerText = results[i].Name;

        selectFolders.appendChild(selectOption);

    }

}

 

function getFoldersErrorHandler(data, errorCode, errorMessage) {

    alert("Could not get Folders: " + errorMessage);

}

Deploy the App

  1. Click on Run Project.

    Running Project on SharePoint
     
  2. The app will be packaged, deployed and launched.

    Uploading
    Installing
     
  3. Click on “Click here to launch your app in a new window”.

    Launching App
     
  4. Click on Trust it.

    Getting Folders in SharePoint
     
  5. All top level folders from host site are displayed.

    Rest API Examples in SharePoint image

Summary

Thus in this article you saw how to get all the top level folders from the website using the REST API in SharePoint 2013 Online.

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