Re: Posting an XML document to a protected API

On Jul 27, 8:17=A0pm, Maruthy Mentireddi <[e-mail]>
wrote:
> I am working on the FrontEnd of a website and need to make a RESTful
> HTTP POST to a Backend system which checks for the presence of an API
> KEY and a SESSSION KEY in the request URL as part of the security model.
>
> Eg: To make a HTTP POST request, the URL should be of the format:
> http://#{API_KEY}@#{BACKEND_HOST}:#{BACKEND_PORT}/#{PATH_TO_RESOURCE}?ses=
sion_key=3D#{SESSION_KEY}
>
> Now the problem I am facing is how do I specify the API_KEY in the URL
> using the following code:
>
> ********************************************************************
> server_addr =3D "http://#{API_KEY}@#{BACKEND_HOST_AND_PORT}"
> api_path =3D
> "#{BACKEND_HOST_PATH}/users/#{session[:user_id]}/contact_groups.xml?sessi=
on_key=3D#{session[:session_key]}"
>
> url =3D URI.parse(server_addr + api_path)
> request =3D
> Net::HTTP::Post.new(url.path+"?session_key=3D#{session[:session_key]}")
>
> request.body =3D "<?xml version=3D'1.0'
> encoding=3D'UTF-8'><contact_groups>SOME NESTED DATA GOES
> HERE</contact_groups>"
> response =3D Net::HTTP.start(url.host, url.port) {|http|
> http.request(request)}
> ********************************************************************
>
> When using the exact same code as above, the Backend responds back with
> a HTTP 401 - !ruby/object:Net::HTTPUnauthorized error code.
>
> And if I change the last line to include the API KEY as shown below:
>
> response =3D Net::HTTP.start(url.user + "@" + url.host, url.port) {|http|
> http.request(request)}
>
> Ruby gives a"getaddrinfo: nodename nor servname provided, or not known"
> error.
>
> What is the right way to make this post to the Backend. Any response in
> this regard will be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> --
> Posted viahttp://www.ruby-forum.com/.

Since there doesn't seem to be alot of ri documentation about
Net::HTTP::Post and I'm too lazy to look at the source,
Net::HTTP.start looks like its invoked like this:

-------------------------------------------------------
Net::HTTP::start
     Net::HTTP::start(address, port =3D nil, p_addr =3D nil, p_port =3D nil=
,
     p_user =3D nil, p_pass =3D nil) {|+http+| ...}
------------------------------------------------------------------------
     creates a new Net::HTTP object and opens its TCP connection and
     HTTP session. If the optional block is given, the newly created
     Net::HTTP object is passed to it and closed when the block
     finishes. In this case, the return value of this method is the
     return value of the block. If no block is given, the return value
     of this method is the newly created Net::HTTP object itself, and
     the caller is responsible for closing it upon completion.


so instead of loading the apikey and port and all into a single
string, have you tried using the parameters to the Net::HTTP.start
method as such?

Eitherway, you might just be better of using curb for anything HTTP
related.