Impossible to get the source field with the Contribution API

Question

On CiviCRM 4.6.11. I need to get the source field of a contribution, but the api seems to fail. Testing the API on http://xxx//civicrm/api#explorer with entries giving the following PHP code :

$result = civicrm_api3('Contribution', 'get', array(
  'sequential' => 1,
  'return' => "source",
  'contact_id' => 4889,
));

gives as results :

{
    "is_error": 0,
    "version": 3,
    "count": 1,
    "id": 4676,
    "values": [
        {
            "contact_id": "4889",
            "contribution_id": "4676",
            "id": "4676"
        }
    ]
}

Although the contribution DO HAVE a source value, no source entry in the result. Is-it a knonw bug, or what wrong in the trequest ?

Thanks for help.

Jean-Pierre

Answer 1

There is an issue with the contribution 'source' field being accessed through the API, due to there being a conflict between the 'source' field of a contribution and the 'source' field of a contact.

To get around this conflict, add the prefix 'contribution_'. So in the API call, change 'source' to 'contribution_source':

$result = civicrm_api3('Contribution', 'get', array(
  'sequential' => 1,
  'return' => "source",
  'id' => 1,
));

...becomes...

$result = civicrm_api3('Contribution', 'get', array(
  'sequential' => 1,
  'return' => "contribution_source",
  'id' => 1,
));

This worked for me.