Perl Upload Script - Bad Request (400)

[jukebox]

Hi,

I'm trying to create a simple perl upload script to interact with the Chevereto API.

I get the following errors:

Script Errors:
HTTP POST error code: 400
HTTP POST error message: Bad Request

Apache Error Log:
[Sun Apr 03 15:42:36.407725 2016] [:error] [pid 19919] [client 10.1.1.118:39702] PHP Warning: Missing boundary in multipart/form-data POST data in Unknown on line 0
[Sun Apr 03 15:42:36.419811 2016] [:error] [pid 19919] [client 10.1.1.118:39702] Invalid API v1 key.

I've tried different combinations of content-type without luck...

Any ideas?

#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use LWP::UserAgent;
use MIME::Base64;
use JSON;

my $ua = LWP::UserAgent->new;
my $server_endpoint = "http://photos.mysite.com/api/1/upload";
my $server_api_key = "xxxx";
my $img = "/mnt/mysite/IMGP0013.JPG";

#convert the image to base64
open (my $image, $img) or die "$!";
        binmode $image;
        my $raw_string = do{ local $/ = undef; <$image>; };
        my $encoded = encode_base64( $raw_string );
close ($img);

# set custom HTTP request header fields
my $req = HTTP::Request->new(POST => $server_endpoint);
$req->header('content-type' => 'application/json');
$req->header('content-type' => 'multipart/form-data');

# add POST data to HTTP request body
my %post_hash = ( key => $server_api_key, source => $encoded, format => "json" );
my $post_data = to_json( \%post_hash );
$req->content($post_data);

my $resp = $ua->request($req);
if ($resp->is_success) {
    my $message = $resp->decoded_content;
    print "Received reply: $message\n";
}
else {
    print "HTTP POST error code: ", $resp->code, "\n";
    print "HTTP POST error message: ", $resp->message, "\n";
}

 

[SirMoo]

I mean... it says your key is invalid... did you put in the right api key?

 

[jukebox]

Yes, I am using the correct key - I thought that was odd as well....

 

[SirMoo]

For the sake of me being stupid to perl... lets try a suggestion on other places...

What happens when you remove

$req->header('content-type' => 'multipart/form-data');

 

[jukebox]

Thanks SirMoo., but I've figured out the problem.

It seem's that the API is expecting the parameters in the URI and not in the POST body (which is a little strange? - not sure?). Wonder if this tidbit can be added to the documentation.

Thanks

 

[jukebox]

I'm also wondering if this will have an impact trying to base64 encode a file -- it's likely not going to fit into the URI right?

 

[Rodolfo]

The base64 method should be used when you are limited to _GET requests. That the whole point of it. There's no data compression or anything, is just a way to send data.

Everybody else, not limited to only _GET requests, should send the image "as is", as a _FILES object.

 

[jukebox]

Hi Rodolfo - I am trying to use POST not GET?

1) When I use POST body only, I get the following errors:
Apache: 192.168.1.108 - - [03/Apr/2016:21:07:06 +1000] "POST /api/1/upload HTTP/1.1" 400 531 "-" "libwww-perl/6.08"
Chevereto: [Sun Apr 03 21:07:06.455259 2016] [:error] [pid 9869] [client 192.168.1.108:39878] Invalid API v1 key.

-- It seems to be returning Invalid API v1 key .... because no data is being interpreted...

2) When I use POST with URI and short source, it works:
Apache: 192.168.1.108 - - [03/Apr/2016:21:25:43 +1000] "POST /api/1/upload/?key=xxxx&source=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos.mysite.com%2F128.jpg&format=json HTTP/1.1" 200 2630 "-" "libwww-perl/6.08"

3) When you use POST with URI and base64 source: 414
Apache: 192.168.1.108 - - [03/Apr/2016:21:35:22 +1000] "POST /api/1/upload/?key=xxxx&source=<base64 snip>" 414 0 "-" "-"
Perl Client: HTTP POST error code: 414, HTTP POST error message: Request-URI Too Long

Can you help explain the _FILES object and how this should be used in POST body data?

Thanks

 

[Rodolfo]

You are doing it wrong in 3. The request url is just /api/v1/<action>. The other parameters are sent in the post request, not as part of the uri.

 

[jukebox]

Hi Rodolfo - this is exactly what is happening in scenario one, but I keep getting "Invalid Key" because the api script is not reading the request (? I think). I also can't get (1) to work when I use a curl client.

Do you have a php/bash script that I can use to test?

Can I test my script on the demo environment?

 

[jukebox]

OK - I figured it out now as you must use form url-encoded! Working now 🙂

Can post the perl code if anyone else interested.

 

[TheZeke]

OK - I figured it out now as you must use form url-encoded! Working now 🙂

Can post the perl code if anyone else interested.

Yes please, I am interested.