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How to Delete a Field From the List 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 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.
  • Delete a field from the list using the REST API.

Endpoint URI

https://c986.sharepoint.com/_api/web/Lists/getbytitle(‘listname’)/fields/getbytitle(‘fieldname’)

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.

Properties

The following properties must be used in the REST request for deleting the field:

  1. IF-MATCH header: It is required for POST requests for a DELETE operation. Description: provides a way to verify that the object being changed has not been changed since it was last retrieved. Or, lets you specify to overwrite any changes, as shown in the following example: "IF-MATCH":"*".
     
  2. X-HTTP-Method header: It is required in POST requests for DELETE operations. Description: specifies that the request performs a delete operation. Example: "X-HTTP-Method":"DELETE".

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.

    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.

    App

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

Replace the contenst 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">

<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>Delete Field</b>

<br />

<input type="text" value="Field Name Here" id="deletefieldname" />

<button id="deletefieldbutton">Delete Field</button>

</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"));

 

        //Assign events to buttons

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

            deleteField();

            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.

        // 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];

        }

    }

    // Delete list

    function deleteField() {

        var deletefieldname = document.getElementById("deletefieldname").value;

        alert(deletefieldname);

        var executor;

 

        // Initialize the RequestExecutor with the app web URL.

        executor = new SP.RequestExecutor(appweburl);

        executor.executeAsync({

            url: appweburl + "/_api/SP.AppContextSite(@target)/web/lists/getbytitle('Custom%20List')/fields/getbytitle('" + deletefieldname + "')?@target='" + hostweburl + "'",

            method: "POST",

            headers: {

                "IF-MATCH": "*",

                "X-HTTP-Method": "DELETE"

            },

            success: deleteFieldSuccessHandler,

            error: deleteFieldErrorHandler

        });

    }

    // Success Handler

    function deleteFieldSuccessHandler(data) {

        alert("Field deleted successfully")

    }

    // Error Handler

    function deleteFieldErrorHandler(data, errorCode, errorMessage) {

        alert("Could not delete the field: " + errorMessage);

    } 

Deploy the App

  1. Click on Run Project.

    Run Project

  2. The app will be packaged, deployed and launched.

    packaged

    Installing

  3. Click on "Click here to launch your app in a new window".

    new window

  4. Click on Trust it.

    Trust

  5. Enter the field name and then click on the Delete Field button.

    Delete Field

  6. The List field is deleted successfully in the host site.

Summary

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


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