Azure-devops-docs: Authentication using PAT for Azure DevOps GIT Rest API

[nikhilepicor]

See https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/vsts-docs/issues/2455#issuecomment-439503194. I learnt that by using the URL in the form "https://<user>:<PAT>@dev.azure.com/..." I can do a git clone with no extra headers or authentication.
I wanted to do the same thing with the REST API to access Items (See Items Rest API https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/azure/devops/git/items/get?view=azure-devops-rest-5.0).
For example, I want to authenticate the following API call using the above way if possible -
GET https://dev.azure.com/{organization}/{project}/_apis/git/repositories/{repositoryId}/items?path={path}&api-version=5.0

Is it possible, or am I misinformed about this possibility?

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Document Details

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• ID: 53f99d2d-363b-d01d-039d-4fdc636fa2df
• Version Independent ID: f47330d5-e2de-36a4-e5b3-5bc77505b161
• Content: Authenticating with personal access tokens
• Content Source: docs/integrate/get-started/authentication/PATs.md
• Product: devops
• Technology: devops-ecosystem
• GitHub Login: @elbatk
• Microsoft Alias: elbatk

[nuno-barreiro]

Similiar issue here when trying to use PAT to authorize the creation of a new release. I'm trying to make a POST to https://vsrm.dev.azure.com/{organizationId}/{projectId}/_apis/Release/releases?api-version=5.0 with the header "Authorization: Basic {BASE64 Encoded Token}" (similiar code as example above). I'm always getting a 203 Non-Authorative response, even after adding full permissions to the PAT in use. Can someone help with this?

[chcomley]

Hi @nikhilepicor and @lusocoding, I've engaged one of our experts, @JimsonChalissery , so he should be able to help you shortly. Thank you!

[JimsonChalissery]

Some tools like Postman apply base64 encoding by default. So if you are trying the APIs via tools like Postman there is no need to apply base64 encoding. Try this and see it that helps.

[nuno-barreiro]

Hi @JimsonChalissery, for me that's not the case. I'm trying to call the REST API either via C# HttpClient or via curl request. Not using any of those tools. I followed the C# example in the documentation and the way the authorization header is being set is exactly the same.

[nuno-barreiro]

Finally able to find what was happening. When encoding to base64 I was only using the PAT. Instead the format "{username}:{pat}" must be used, which in this case user is empty:

var authToken =  Convert.ToBase64String(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes($":{accessToken}"));
httpClient.DefaultRequestHeaders.Authorization = new AuthenticationHeaderValue("Basic", authToken);