# Newbie question about POSTing xml file to RESTful rails app **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [January 30, 2007, 6:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-question-about-posting-xml-file-to-restful-rails-app/83910 "2007-01-30T18:52:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tomPorter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/71e660/32.png) [@tomPorter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tomPorter)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 6:52pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-question-about-posting-xml-file-to-restful-rails-app/83910/1 "2007-01-30T18:52:30Z")
I have a newbie question about creating a new item using REST in rails 1.2. 1. I created my project: ‘rails mra -d sqlite3’ 2. I generate all I can: ‘cd mra’ ‘script/generate scaffold\_resource widget name:string description:string’ 3. I create database stuff: ‘rake db:migrate’ 4. I now have a basic app: ‘script/server’ I create a couple of widgets using the basic scaffolding forms. 1. I browse ‘[http://localhost:3000/widgets.xml](http://localhost:3000/widgets.xml)’ I get a nice xml file out: 2. I can use curl to POST a new widget to the app: ‘curl -d “widget[name]=bar” -d “widget[description]=bar-ness” [http://localhost:3000/widgets](http://localhost:3000/widgets)’ With a default app generated this way, is there a way to use curl to POST an XML file and generate a new widget? I do not think the ‘create’ method in widgets\_controller.rb distinguishes between the two URL’s used for a POST (/widgets and /widgets.xml) as far as how input is handled, and I am not sure how params[:widget] is populated (other than knowing that it is not populated correctly when I try something like this: ‘curl -X POST -d “foobarfoobar-ness\” [http://localhost:3000/widgets](http://localhost:3000/widgets)’ If I need to add code to parse the input XML file, where is the best place to code this, as a helper method? ---
**Author:** ![tomPorter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/71e660/32.png) [@tomPorter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tomPorter)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-question-about-posting-xml-file-to-restful-rails-app/83910/2 "2007-09-25T23:00:20Z")
> Thanks to both Zack and Rick. > > I found that I was not indicating that my Content-Type as ‘text/xml’ > in my curl command, and that is what is needed to trigger the XML > parsing. > > Pretty cool stuff! Just adding .xml to the filename works too. You don’t have to specificially set content-type or accepts AFAIK. – Rick O. [http://weblog.techno-weenie.net](http://weblog.techno-weenie.net) [http://mephistoblog.com](http://mephistoblog.com) ---
**Author:** ![tomPorter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/71e660/32.png) [@tomPorter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tomPorter)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 11:04pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-question-about-posting-xml-file-to-restful-rails-app/83910/3 "2007-09-25T23:04:07Z")
On 1/30/07, tomPorter [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > description:string’ > out: > foo > URL’s used for a POST (/widgets and /widgets.xml) as far as how input > is handled, and I am not sure how params[:widget] is populated (other > than knowing that it is not populated correctly when I try something > like this: > ‘curl -X POST -d > “foobarfoobar-ness\ widget\>” > [http://localhost:3000/widgets](http://localhost:3000/widgets)’ > > If I need to add code to parse the input XML file, where is the best > place to code this, as a helper method? No code needed, check out Beast for a simple, working example. [http://weblog.techno-weenie.net/2006/12/12/taking-ares-out-for-a-test-drive](http://weblog.techno-weenie.net/2006/12/12/taking-ares-out-for-a-test-drive) map.resources automatically recognizes urls with formats (extensions like xml and js by default). XML has a default param parser that uses the xmlsimple lib to parse that xml into a hash in params[:widget]. Your controller code should stay the same then. If you have custom formats (atom, svn xml, json, whatever), you’ll have to write your own param parser. – Rick O. [http://weblog.techno-weenie.net](http://weblog.techno-weenie.net) [http://mephistoblog.com](http://mephistoblog.com) ---
**Author:** ![tomPorter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/71e660/32.png) [@tomPorter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tomPorter)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 11:05pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-question-about-posting-xml-file-to-restful-rails-app/83910/4 "2007-09-25T23:05:10Z")
On Jan 30, 11:14 am, “Zack C.” [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > You also might use the filename notation with curl to avoid having to > type the xml message on the command line. Just create a file > new\_widget.xml and then send it using curl: > > curl -H “Content-Type: text/xml” -d @new\_widget.xml -X POSThttp://localhost:3000/widgets > > – > Zack C.http://depixelate.com- Hide quoted text - Thanks to both Zack and Rick. I found that I was not indicating that my Content-Type as ‘text/xml’ in my curl command, and that is what is needed to trigger the XML parsing. Pretty cool stuff! ---
**Author:** ![tomPorter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/71e660/32.png) [@tomPorter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tomPorter)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-question-about-posting-xml-file-to-restful-rails-app/83910/5 "2007-09-25T23:10:15Z")
I will have to experiment with just submitting an XML file, but i _thought_ when I tried this w/o the Content-Type header ,it created a null widget: ID only blank attributes. ---
**Author:** ![tomPorter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/71e660/32.png) [@tomPorter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/tomPorter)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2007, 11:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-question-about-posting-xml-file-to-restful-rails-app/83910/6 "2007-09-25T23:09:41Z")
On 1/30/07, Rick O. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > ``` > > 'cd mra' > > > > foo-ness > > > > ``` > > > > POST an XML file and generate a new widget? I do not think the > > If I need to add code to parse the input XML file, where is the best > > formats (atom, svn xml, json, whatever), you’ll have to write your own > > param parser. > > – > Rick O. > [http://weblog.techno-weenie.net](http://weblog.techno-weenie.net) > [http://mephistoblog.com](http://mephistoblog.com) > > > You also might use the filename notation with curl to avoid having to type the xml message on the command line. Just create a file new\_widget.xml and then send it using curl: curl -H “Content-Type: text/xml” -d @new\_widget.xml -X POST [http://localhost:3000/widgets](http://localhost:3000/widgets) – Zack C. [http://depixelate.com](http://depixelate.com)