[angular-resource 1.2.26]: $resource delete call removes leading slash when query param has a "."

[pmariduena]

Hello.

I'm trying to call a delete service....here is the service:

myServices.factory('myService', ['$resource',
function ($resource) {
return $resource('app/service/:name', {name: '@name'}, {
// whether a GET, PUT, POST, or DELETE, set isArray: true is the response body from the
// server contains something that converts to an array. Otherwise, the request will be processed, but
// you will encounter errors.
query: {method: 'GET', isArray: true},
addItem: {method: 'POST', isArray: true},
updateAll: {method: 'PUT', isArray: true},
removeItem: {method: 'DELETE'}
});
}]);

from my angular JS controller, I'm making this call:
...
// rowEntity.name === ".PPM"
var deferred = myService.removeItem({name: rowEntity.name});
...

I expect in my browser to see a call to DELETE "/app/service/.PPM", however, it's failing with a 404, and I'm seeing this call being made:

DELETE "/app/service.PPM"

It's eating the slash after the service for no apparent reason...can you help me?

Thanks.

[gkalpak]

This happens because $resource is trying to accomplish the following (quoting the docs):

If you are using a url with a suffix, just add the suffix, like this: [...] $resource('http://example.com/:resource_id.json') [...]. If the parameter before the suffix is empty, :resource_id in this case, then the /. will be collapsed down to a single .. If you need this sequence to appear and not collapse then you can escape it with /\..

But this clearly shouldn't happen.

[pmariduena]

Using my example above, where exactly do I do the escaping @gkalpak ?

In here?
return $resource('app/service/:name', {name: '@name'}, {

Or here?
var deferred = myService.removeItem({name: rowEntity.name});

[gkalpak]

@pmariduena: My comment just added some info for anyone looking into the issue. Not a solution or workaround for you :)

I don't think you can do anything about it (as long as the . is part of the param's value).
(In the very unlikely case that you know all values would start with a ., you could change the URL to 'app/service/\\.:name' (and then call it with 'PPM' instead of '.PPM').)

[pmariduena]

@gkalpak Unfortunately, some values start with "." and some do not in my case :/

One idea is to escape as you mention ('app/service/.:name')...and on the server-side it appears as ..PPM if it starts with a dot, and .PPM if it doesn't, and do processing on the server end (if it works), but this is a major hack.

I was wondering if you consider this a bug or shortcoming, and when it will be fixed?

[gkalpak]

I personally consider this a bug, but let's see what the core members think :)

[pmariduena]

@gkalpak Agreed. This a glaring bug. Unless the specs say otherwise, which I admit I haven't read yet. But for my application, I need this behavior.

[gkalpak]

BTW, until this is resolved, here is a workaround:

1. Use a trailing slash (note: the . is removed only if it appears after the last /).
2. Configure your resource to not remove trailing slashes.

E.g.:

...
return $resource('app/service/:name/', {name: '@name'}, {/*custom actions*/}, {
    stripTrailingSlashes: false
});

Then your request will look like this: app/service/.PPM/

[pmariduena]

I already implemented an very inelegant solution by changing the . in .PPM to a _

Then, on the server-side, I detect the _, and change it back to the . @gkalpak

However, your idea is better...I'll give a try. Thanks.

[gkalpak]

With #15627, it is now possible to escape the . even if it appears in the param value.
If more people bump into this, we could add an additional option to disable collapsing foo/.bar to foo.bar for a resource class.