Input Types

The Conversations API lets you programmatically retrieve and submit Bazaarvoice Conversations data for use in your applications. To learn more, go to the Conversations API documentation home page.

This tutorial describes the input types available for full submission in the Bazaarvoice Conversations API. Developers will learn how to use the Type property to determine what graphical user interface elements to use in their applications.

Overview

The Typeproperty indicates the form of data the Conversations API expects to receive for a particular input.

The following snippet demonstrates the Type property in an API submission response:

"isrecommended": {
    "Default": null,
    "MaxLength": null,
    "Value": "false",
    "Required": false,
    "Type": "BooleanInput",
    "Label": null,
    "Id": " isrecommended ",
    "MinLength": null,
    "Options": [ ]
},

Available types

These types identify the kind of data that should be submitted for a particular input:

• BooleanInput

  One of either "true" or "false" is expected.

• FileInput

  Used with image or video uploads.

• IntegerInput

  Indicates value must be an integer.

• SelectInput

  One of several predetermined options is expected.

• TextAreaInput

  Free form text and line breaks are expected.

• TextInput

  Free form text without line breaks are expected.

BooleanInput

    "Type": "BooleanInput"

Boolean inputs accept either "true" or "false" responses. They are typically used for inputs that allow the content author to indicate agreement with a statement or select from a list of values where each statement or option is a different API field. This could mean selecting several predetermined pro or con values, agreeing to a terms and conditions, indicating a statement is relevant to them or answering a yes/no question.

The following code samples demonstrate BooleanInputs:

Response from Bazaarvoice API submission preview request:

"sendemailalertwhenpublished": {
    "Default": null,
    "MaxLength": null,
    "Value": "true",
    "Required": false,
    "Type": "BooleanInput",
    "Label": null,
    "Id": "sendemailalertwhenpublished",
    "MinLength": null,
    "Options": [ ]
},
"sendemailalertwhencommented": {
    "Default": null,
    "MaxLength": null,
    "Value": "",
    "Required": false,
    "Type": "BooleanInput",
    "Label": null,
    "Id": "sendemailalertwhencommented",
    "MinLength": null,
    "Options": [ ]
},

Example of a valid value in submission POST request:

&sendemailalertwhenpublished=true&sendemailalertwhencommented=false

FileInput

"Type": "FileInput"

The FileInput type indicates that a photo or video is expected.

Response from Bazaarvoice to API submission preview request:

"photo": {
    "Default": null,
    "Required": null,
    "Value": null,
    "MaxLength": null,
    "Type": "FileInput",
    "Label": null,
    "Id": "photo",
    "MinLength": null,
    "Options": [ ]
}

Example of a valid value in submission POST request:

&photo={binary_data}

IntegerInput

"Type": "IntegerInput"

The IntegerInput type indicates that the value being submitted should be an integer.

Response from Bazaarvoice to API submission preview request:

"rating": {
    "Default": null,
    "Value": null,
    "MaxLength": null,
    "Required": true,
    "Type": "IntegerInput",
    "Label": null,
    "Id": "rating",
    "MinLength": null,
    "Options": [ ]
},

Example of a valid value in submission POST request:

&rating=4

SelectInput

"Type": "SelectInput"

SelectInput inputs are questions for which the available options have been predetermined. Inputs associated with this type typically present the content author with a:

• single select multiple choice style list of options
• range of values from which the user may make on selection

List of options

Response from Bazaarvoice to API submission preview request:

contextdatavalue_Gender": {
    "Default": null,
    "Value": null,
    "MaxLength": null,
    "Required": false,
    "Type": "SelectInput",
    "Label": "What is your gender?",
    "Id": "contextdatavalue_Gender",
    "MinLength": null,
    "Options": [
        {
            "Value": "",
            "Selected": true,
            "Label": ""
        },
        {
            "Value": "Male",
            "Selected": false,
            "Label": "Male"
        },
        {
            "Value": "Female",
            "Selected": false,
            "Label": "Female"
        }
    ]
},

Example of a valid value in submission POST request:

&contextdatavalue_Gender=Female

Range of values

Response from Bazaarvoice to API submission preview request:

rating_Sliders": {
    "Default": null,
    "Value": null,
    "MaxLength": null,
    "Required": false,
    "Type": "SelectInput",
    "Label": "sliders",
    "Id": "rating_Sliders",
    "MinLength": null,
    "Options": [
        {
            "Value": "1",
            "Selected": false,
            "Label": "too small"
        },
        {
            "Value": "2",
            "Selected": false,
            "Label": "a little small"
        },
        {
            "Value": "3",
            "Selected": false,
            "Label": "as expected"
        },
        {
            "Value": "4",
            "Selected": false,
            "Label": "a little large"
        },
        {
            "Value": "5",
            "Selected": false,
            "Label": "too large"
        }
    ]
},

Example of a valid value in submission POST request:

&rating_Sliders=3

TextAreaInput

"Type": "TextAreaInput"

A TextAreaInput is used for longer answers that can include line breaks or paragraphs.

Response from Bazaarvoice to API submission preview request:

"reviewtext": {
    "Default": null,
    "Value": null,
    "MaxLength": 10000,
    "Required": false,
    "Type": "TextAreaInput",
    "Label": null,
    "Id": "reviewtext",
    "Options": [ ],
    "MinLength": 50
},

Example of a valid value in submission POST request:

&reviewtext=Proin%20quis%20erat%20facilisis%3B%20tempus%20eros%20in%2C%20tincidunt%20tellus.%0A%0ASed%20aliquam%20volutpat%20viverra.%20Nulla%20tellus%20magna%2C%20porta%20quis%20felis%20in%2C%20blandit%20hendrerit%20diam.

The example above is percent encoded. Note line breaks are represented by %0A%0A.

TextInput

"Type": "TextInput"

TextInput inputs accept a short answers with no line breaks, typically consisting a single word or short sentence/phrase.

Response from Bazaarvoice to API submission preview request:

"title": {
    "Default": null,
    "Value": null,
    "MaxLength": 50,
    "Required": false,
    "Type": "TextInput",
    "Label": null,
    "Id": "title",
    "Options": [ ],
    "MinLength": 0
},

Example of a valid value in submission POST request:

&title=Proin%20quis%20erat%20facilisis%3B%20tempus%20eros%20in%2C%20tincidunt%20tellus.

The above example is percent encoded.