How are images url stored / how to retrieve them?

[arnaudambro]

Hi there

I can’t find out how the image url is built, and how I can retrieve all images from the knowledge base easily.
I can see in the body column of the knowledge_base_answer_translation_contents table that images are stored like that

<img src=\"cid:KnowledgeBase::Answer::Translation::Content_body.{some-kind-of-id-with-number-and-email?}\" />

which transforms in when read in the browser like that

https://{my-url}/api/v1/attachments/{another-id-with-numbers}

So the question is : what is the logic behind that ?
How can I amp a KnowledgeBase::Answer::Translation::Content_body.{some-kind-of-id-with-number-and-email?} to a {another-id-with-numbers} ?

[olafbuitelaar]

I’m not 100% sure, but i believe the {another-id-with-numbers} is an md5 of the contents of the file. This is done to prevent double storing the file. you could maybe check the Store* tables. I think the actual data is stored in; “Store Provider Dbs”

[MrGeneration]

It kinda depends on your approach you want to go.
The rails console approach is fairly complicated because of the structure and how translations in the knowledge base work.

The easiest approach actually is the API. Please note that this only applies to attachments.
Inline images do not count as attachment. (in case you’ve wondered). (I’m limitting the output but am providing the relevant parts below)

The following endpoint allows you to get all information on answers and their attachments:
/api/v1/knowledge_bases/{ knowledge-base-id }/answers/{ answer-id } (Replace the ID place holders with your fitting content).

This would be an example output.

{
   "id": 1,
   "assets": {
      "KnowledgeBaseAnswer": {
         "1": {
            "id": 1,
            "category_id": 4,
            "position": 0,
            "internal_at": null,
            "published_at": "2021-11-09T13:15:43.237Z",
            "archived_at": null,
            "promoted": false,
            "internal_note": null,
            "archived_by_id": null,
            "internal_by_id": null,
            "published_by_id": 3,
            "created_at": "2021-11-09T13:15:43.237Z",
            "updated_at": "2021-12-24T13:04:09.779Z",
            "translation_ids": [
               2,
               1
            ],
            "attachments": [
               {
                  "id": 47,
                  "url": "/api/v1/attachments/47",
                  "preview_url": "/api/v1/attachments/47?preview=1",
                  "filename": "21-12-01 14-05-55 5067.png",
                  "size": "1847141",
                  "preferences": {
                     "Content-Type": "image/png",
                     "resizable": true,
                     "content_preview": true
                  }
               },
               {
                  "id": 48,
                  "url": "/api/v1/attachments/48",
                  "preview_url": "/api/v1/attachments/48?preview=1",
                  "filename": "21-12-02 12-15-23 5068.jpg",
                  "size": "116875",
                  "preferences": {
                     "Content-Type": "image/jpeg",
                     "resizable": true,
                     "content_preview": true
                  }
               },
               {
                  "id": 49,
                  "url": "/api/v1/attachments/49",
                  "preview_url": "/api/v1/attachments/49?preview=1",
                  "filename": "21-12-04 19-31-18 5069.jpg",
                  "size": "149169",
                  "preferences": {
                     "Content-Type": "image/jpeg",
                     "resizable": true,
                     "content_preview": true
                  }
               }
            ],
            "tags": []
         },
         "3": {
            "id": 3,
            "category_id": 4,
            "promoted": false,
            "internal_note": null,
            "position": 1,
            "archived_at": null,
            "archived_by_id": null,
            "internal_at": null,
            "internal_by_id": null,
            "published_at": "2021-11-09T13:15:43.556Z",
            "published_by_id": 3,
            "created_at": "2021-11-09T13:15:43.556Z",
            "updated_at": "2021-11-09T13:15:43.858Z",
            "translation_ids": [
               6,
               5
            ],
            "attachments": [],
            "tags": []
         },

...
} 

Retreiving actual translation content is a bit… different. If you add ?include_contents=1 to above endpoint URL you’ll receive the complete answer - including content. This may be fairly big if you have inline content. (Inline content means: Images and GIFs)

You’re then looking for this payload part:

...
      "KnowledgeBaseAnswerTranslationContent": {
         "1": {
            "body": "The flat white is simply the perfect start for your day. It perfectly fits breakfast and is done super easy and fast.<div><br></div><img src=\"data:image/gif;base64,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
   ...",
            "id": 1,
            "attachments": []
         }
      }
   }
}

There currently technically is only one knowledge base possible so there’s no endpoint for getting the kb id - usually this ID would be 1. Opening any knowledge base answer within the agent / admin view tells you - it’s the first ID

You can list all* available answers like so:
/api/v1/knowledge_bases/{ knowledge-base-id }

{
   "id": 1,
   "iconset": "FontAwesome",
   "color_highlight": "#38ae6a",
   "color_header": "#f9fafb",
   "color_header_link": "#555",
   "homepage_layout": "grid",
   "category_layout": "grid",
   "active": true,
   "custom_address": null,
   "created_at": "2021-11-09T03:15:42.899Z",
   "updated_at": "2021-12-13T08:45:30.412Z",
   "translation_ids": [
      2,
      1
   ],
   "kb_locale_ids": [
      1,
      2
   ],
   "category_ids": [
      5,
      7,
      2,
      3,
      9,
      6,
      10,
      11,
      4,
      1,
      8
   ],
   "answer_ids": [
      2,
      8,
      9,
      10,
      7,
      13,
      14,
      6,
      5,
      4,
      3,
      1,
      12,
      11
   ]
}

Hopefully this helps on your journey.