How can I edit a post with the API and python?

Question

I am a real beginner, but want to know more about using the API.

I need to be able to get a post tagged with installation and the have it displayed to me. I then enter either 1 or 2, and it will remove that tag and add system-installation or software-installation respectively.

Python would be the easiest for me, but I'm using Ubuntu so Bash is also fine.

I don't need a complete solution, but I would like some basic guidelines.

For example, what is the registration expecting for the OAuth 2.0 site? Do I need to own a site?

What is the Enable Client Side OAuth Flow for?

Answer 1

OK... I've just meddled with the API and editing.

So, to do what you want, here's what I would do (in steps:)

1. Get the questions via /questions with the tagged being installation. Use Python to loop through items (the results) and show them to you one-by-one. Make sure you make new variables saving the title, body and tags (so you can edit the question)
2. Use Python to let you say 1 or 2, each calling a function addTag
3. The if statement you use for checking whether 1 or 2 has been inputted will call addTag with a parameter newTag being either system-installation or software-installation.

To edit:

Use /questions/{id}/edit:

• title: same title
• body: same title
• tags: same tags minus the installation and with the appropriate new tag (in the parameters)
• summary: summary either pre-defined or input()ted on run.

Using requests:

def editQuestion(questionId, access_token, site_name, key, postText, postSummary, postTags, postTitle):
    results = requests.post("https://api.stackexchange.com/2.2/questions/[question_ID]/edit",
              data={'body': postText,
                    'comment': postSummary,
                    'tags': postTags,
                    'title': postTitle,
                    'access_token': '[access token]',
                    'site': '[site_name]',
                    'key': '[key]'
                    }
    )

    print(results.text)

---

You use Client Side OAuth Flow mainly when you do not have a website yourself to let someone get an access token. So use this. See here for more details on authentication. You would need to send a new user to:

https://stackexchange.com/oauth/dialog?client_id=[CLIENT_ID]&scope=write_access&redirect_uri=http://stackexchange.com

^^edit the parameters as required!