SPFx - Update a calculated column formula

Question

I am trying to use this.context.spHttpClient.post() to update a calculated column formula in my SPFx WebPart.

I get a status code of 400 with the error message: "The parameter __metadata does not exist in method GetByTitle."

I have created the following function to perform this operation:

private _setCalculatedColumn(ListURL: string, ListTitle: string): void{
    const body: ISPHttpClientOptions = {
        body: `{'__metadata':{'type':'SP.FieldCalculated'},'Formula':'[my new formula]'}`
    };

    this.context.spHttpClient.post(
        ListURL + `/_api/web/Lists/GetByTitle('`+ ListTitle +`')/Fields/GetByTitle('AutoTaskDueDate')`, 
        SPHttpClient.configurations.v1, 
        body)
        .then((response: SPHttpClientResponse) => {
            console.log(`Status code: ${response.status}`);
            console.log(`Status text: ${response.statusText}`);

            //response.json() returns a promise so you get access to the json in the resolve callback.
            response.json().then((responseJSON: JSON) => {
                console.log(responseJSON);
         });
    });
}

I have found an example using Microsoft Flow but that is the closest I can find to updating a formula via a POST request.

I have changed around the body string and get a similar error message.

Thanks

Answer 1

Rest api update calculated formula:

<script src="https://ajax.aspnetcdn.com/ajax/jQuery/jquery-1.9.1.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script>
SetCalculatedColumnFormula();
function SetCalculatedColumnFormula() {
    $.ajax
        ({
            // _spPageContextInfo.webAbsoluteUrl - will give absolute URL of the site where you are running the code.
            // You can replace this with other site URL where you want to apply the function
 
            url: _spPageContextInfo.webAbsoluteUrl + "/_api/web/lists/getByTitle('test_test')/fields/getbytitle('calculated')",
            method: "POST",
            data: JSON.stringify({
                '__metadata': {
                    // Type that you are modifying.
                    'type': 'SP.FieldCalculated'
                },
                // Enter Formula over here
                'Formula': '=Title+1'
            }),
            headers:
               {
                   // IF-MATCH header: Provides a way to verify that the object being changed has not been changed since it was last retrieved.
                   // "IF-MATCH":"*", will overwrite any modification in the object, since it was last retrieved.
                   "IF-MATCH": "*",
                   "X-HTTP-Method": "PATCH",
                   // Accept header: Specifies the format for response data from the server.
                   "Accept": "application/json;odata=verbose",
                   //Content-Type header: Specifies the format of the data that the client is sending to the server
                   "Content-Type": "application/json;odata=verbose",
                   // X-RequestDigest header: When you send a POST request, it must include the form digest value in X-RequestDigest header
                   "X-RequestDigest": $("#__REQUESTDIGEST").val()
               },
            success: function (data, status, xhr) {
                console.log("Success");
            },
            error: function (xhr, status, error) {
                console.log("Failed");
            }
        });
}
</script>

Source:https://www.codesharepoint.com/rest-api/set-calculated-field-formula-in-sharepoint-using-rest-api

In spfx,you could use pnp js to update calculated field:

https://pnp.github.io/pnpjs/sp/fields/#update-a-field

Answer 2

I managed to get my function working. This is without using the @pnp library. I read here that you cannot use POST requests for updating fields? So I switched it to PATCH instead and it is now working.

private _setCalculatedColumn(ListURL: string, ListTitle: string): void{
    const bodyJSON: string = JSON.stringify({
      '__metadata': {
          // Type that you are modifying.
          'type': 'SP.FieldCalculated'
      },
      // Enter Formula over here
      'Formula': '=Modified'
    });

    this.context.spHttpClient.fetch(
      ListURL + `/_api/web/Lists/GetByTitle('`+ ListTitle +`')/Fields/GetByTitle('AutoTaskDueDate')`, 
      SPHttpClient.configurations.v1, {
      method: "PATCH",
      headers: {
        'IF-MATCH': '*',
        'Content-type': 'application/json;odata=verbose',
        "accept": "application/json;odata=verbose",
        "odata-version":"3.0",
        'X-HTTP-Method': 'PATCH'
      },
      body: bodyJSON})
    .then((response: SPHttpClientResponse) => {
      if(response.status === 204){
        console.log("Updated formula for " + ListTitle + " successfully!")
      }
    }
  );
}