REST: transfer data between applications

Hi all

I’m having trouble finding info on how to tranfser data between 2 rest
appliations. I will try to scetch my problem as simple as possible. I
store data in my first application. In my first application, users need
to login to gain access. The users login with a login form:

my session controller that handles the authentication

def create
logged_in_user = User.find_by_email_and_password(email, password)

# Create the session and redirect
unless logged_in_user.blank?
  session[:user] = logged_in_user
  if session[:user].landingspage
    redirect_to(session[:user].landingspage)
  else
    redirect_to(outgoing_invoices_path)
  end
else
  redirect_to('/login')
  flash[:error] = 'Invalid username/password combination'
end

end

Every controller gets checked if the user is still logged in:
before_filter :ensure_login

def ensure_login
unless session[:user]
flash[:error] = “Please login to continue”
redirect_to("/login")
end
end

Once I log in with my browser, I can retrieve all the info in any format
I want (html, xml, json, …)

Now I have my second application where I want to retrieve data in xml
format from my first application.

No my first obstical is how to pass the login. With every request I will
need to send the login info becouse I don’t think the login will be
persistant. I have read info on basic http but I can’t seem to integrate
the info in the ensure_login action.
Also, with the login request, I will need to send the request to the
controller/action of what data I need with search parameters. But how do
I sent the login/data request from my second application to my first? I
have found some examples like:

require ‘net/http’

Net::HTTP.start(‘localhost’, 3000) do |http|
response = http.get(’/people’, ‘Accept’ => ‘text/xml’)

#Do something with the response.

@code = response.code
@message = response.message
@body = response.body
end

In the above example, I try to get xml data from the people object in
xml format. But how do I send my login info and my search parameters?

Any info would be great, becouse I can’t seem to find any consistant
info on this.

Thank you in advance

Your login system should provide a way to authenticate using HTTP
basic authentication - most authentication plugins do so i.e.
restful_authentication. If you’re not using any plugin, check
#82 HTTP Basic Authentication - RailsCasts to see how to set it up.

Instead of using plain Net::HTTP, you can use ActiveResource (http://
api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveResource/Base.html) or REST Client
(http://rest-client.heroku.com/rdoc/).

On Jan 16, 12:15 pm, Michael R. [email protected]

Szymon N. wrote:

Your login system should provide a way to authenticate using HTTP
basic authentication - most authentication plugins do so i.e.
restful_authentication. If you’re not using any plugin, check
#82 HTTP Basic Authentication - RailsCasts to see how to set it up.

Instead of using plain Net::HTTP, you can use ActiveResource (http://
api.rubyonrails.org/classes/ActiveResource/Base.html) or REST Client
(http://rest-client.heroku.com/rdoc/).

On Jan 16, 12:15�pm, Michael R. [email protected]

Thanks for the input. I’m usering ActiveResource right now, but I have a
problem when I do a find of my activeresource model.When I do:

Task.find(:all, :params => { :company_id => 78 })

the parameter company_id doesn’t seem to get send. When I want to
retrieve the parameter with params[:company_id] I get a blank result
instead of 78 :s