Creating Store in GeoServer workspace using REST API?

Question

I'm building a PHP class to interact with my GeoServer. I'm following the limited Documentation, this GeoServer REST API with PHP post and also this great advice. I've successfully created/deleted a Workspace.

But when I try to upload a Shapefile it fails because no dataStore endpoint exists in my Workspace (I get a 404 response from cURL). So, I guess I should create a Store before trying to upload a Shapefile.

I've failed at finding any information regarding this issue (both here at GIS SE or Googling) but I've successfully created a Store with some RevEng:

I've checked the JSON for my GeoServer's default Store:

{
  "dataStore": {
    "name": "cntry_shp",
    "type": "Directory of spatial files (shapefiles)",
    "enabled": true,
    "workspace": {
      "name": "opengeo",
      "href": "http:\/\/0.0.0.0:8080\/geoserver\/rest\/workspaces\/opengeo.json"
    },
    "connectionParameters": {
      "entry": [
        {
          "@key": "memory mapped buffer",
          "$": "false"
        },
        {
          "@key": "timezone",
          "$": "America\/Vancouver"
        },
        {
          "@key": "fstype",
          "$": "shape-ng"
        },
        {
          "@key": "create spatial index",
          "$": "true"
        },
        {
          "@key": "charset",
          "$": "ISO-8859-1"
        },
        {
          "@key": "filetype",
          "$": "shapefile"
        },
        {
          "@key": "cache and reuse memory maps",
          "$": "true"
        },
        {
          "@key": "enable spatial index",
          "$": "true"
        },
        {
          "@key": "url",
          "$": "file:workspaces\/opengeo\/data"
        },
        {
          "@key": "namespace",
          "$": "http:\/\/opengeo.org"
        }
      ]
    },
    "_default": false,
    "featureTypes": "http:\/\/0.0.0.0:8080\/geoserver\/rest\/workspaces\/opengeo\/datastores\/cntry_shp\/featuretypes.json"
  }
}

I copied it, replacing its name and workspace, and inserted it in my system with a cURL call at the endpoint:

 rest/workspaces/MY_WORKSPACE/datastores

Then I tried to upload a Shapefile to it, and it failed. Anyway, I don't think this is the right way to do this.

Do you know which is the right way or, at least, do you know some examples or documentation?

Answer 1

The GeoServer REST manual has a section on creating DataStores that should show how its done. Basically you make a POST of the file to /workspaces/<ws>/datastores[.<format>].

curl -v -u admin:geoserver -XPOST -T nycDataStore.xml -H "Content-type: text/xml"
  http://localhost:8080/geoserver/rest/workspaces/acme/datastores

But GeoServer will create a DataStore for you when you PUT a new ShapeFile:

curl -v -u admin:geoserver -XPUT -H "Content-type: application/zip"
  --data-binary @roads.zip
  http://localhost:8080/geoserver/rest/workspaces/acme/datastores/roads/file.shp