"show config diff" returning 'error: "invalid client cli"'

[goohuu]

Tested in latest version of pan-python: fb9fcc4
Palo Alto version: 7.1.5 (VMWare ESXi)
OS: Debian 8 and Ubuntu 16.04

When trying to display the diff between running and candidate configuration, I get the following:

[/tmp/pan-python] ./bin/panxapi.py -DD -jro '<show><config><diff></diff></config></show>'
element: "<show><config><diff></diff></config></show>"
__parse_path: /home/gohu/.panrc: { 'api_key': '******', 'hostname': '172.16.0.2'}
panrcs: [{ 'api_key': '******', 'hostname': '172.16.0.2'}]
panrc: { 'api_key': '******', 'hostname': '172.16.0.2'}
using legacy urllib
query: {'cmd': '<show><config><diff></diff></config></show>', 'type': 'op', 'key': '******'}
URI: https://172.16.0.2/api/?cmd=<show><config><diff></diff></config></show>&type=op&key=******
method: POST
HTTP response headers:
Server: 
Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2017 16:45:49 GMT
Content-Type: application/xml; charset=UTF-8
Content-Length: 78
Connection: close
ETag: "24004-12b-57e5df77"
Pragma: no-cache
Cache-Control: no-store, no-cache, must-revalidate, post-check=0, pre-check=0
Access-Control-Allow-Origin: 
Expires: Thu, 19 Nov 1981 08:52:00 GMT
X-FRAME-OPTIONS: SAMEORIGIN
Set-Cookie: PHPSESSID=33e7b9ed7b247d9151446df11ce47555; path=/; secure; HttpOnly

response_attrib: {'status': 'error'}
path: ./msg/line [<Element 'line' at 0x7f31748898d0>]
op: error: "invalid client cli"
[/tmp/pan-python] 

The "invalid client cli" issue only happens with this specific operation command.
Is that expected?

[gettingswifty]

It appears that command is not exposed to the API (I ran into the same issue trying a different command the other day). You can verify this by going into to API Browser ('https://FW_IP/api' from a web browser) > Operational Commands > show > config.

You can, however, pull a candidate config using 'show config candidate' and then diff the two through a different method.

[goohuu]

Ok good to know!
Thanks for pointing out the workaround. So I used the following command which gives a good diff view:

root@server:~# diff -u <(panxapi.py -xrs) <(panxapi.py -Xro 'show config candidate')
show: success
op: success
--- /dev/fd/63	2017-02-16 08:31:07.527324217 +0000
+++ /dev/fd/62	2017-02-16 08:31:07.527324217 +0000
@@ -821,9 +870,7 @@
             </routing-table>
           </entry>
         </virtual-router>
-        <vlan>
-          <entry name="szetzet" />
-        </vlan>
+        <vlan />
       </network>
       <deviceconfig>
         <system>