HTTP POST Array Params for Java/Android

Question

When building a HTTP POST Query in PHP I can use a simple method called: http_build_query which will return the following based on the array passed to function:

Simple array:

Array
(
    [0] => foo
    [1] => bar
    [2] => baz
    [3] => boom
    [cow] => milk
    [php] => hypertext processor
)

Returns:

flags_0=foo&flags_1=bar&flags_2=baz&flags_3=boom&cow=milk&php=hypertext+processor

A Bit more complex array:

Array
(
[user] => Array
    (
        [name] => Bob Smith
        [age] => 47
        [sex] => M
        [dob] => 5/12/1956
    )

[pastimes] => Array
    (
        [0] => golf
        [1] => opera
        [2] => poker
        [3] => rap
    )

[children] => Array
    (
        [bobby] => Array
            (
                [age] => 12
                [sex] => M
            )

        [sally] => Array
            (
                [age] => 8
                [sex] => F
            )

    )

[0] => CEO
)

Returns:

user%5Bname%5D=Bob+Smith&user%5Bage%5D=47&user%5Bsex%5D=M&user%5Bdob%5D=5%2F12%2F1956&pastimes%5B0%5D=golf&pastimes%5B1%5D=opera&pastimes%5B2%5D=poker&pastimes%5B3%5D=rap&children%5Bbobby%5D%5Bage%5D=12&children%5Bbobby%5D%5Bsex%5D=M&children%5Bsally%5D%5Bage%5D=8&children%5Bsally%5D%5Bsex%5D=F&flags_0=CEO

What I'm asking is, is there any way to create the latter entity format in Java/Android? I've tried the following without any luck:

List<NameValuePair> nameValuePairs = new ArrayList<NameValuePair>(3);
nameValuePairs.add(new BasicNameValuePair("user", null));
nameValuePairs.add(new BasicNameValuePair("firstname", "admin"));
nameValuePairs.add(new BasicNameValuePair("lastname", "admin"));
httppost.setEntity(new UrlEncodedFormEntity(nameValuePairs));

Hopefully someone know how to achieve this :) Kind regards, Morten

EDIT:

Basically what i need is to to product the Java equivalent of this PHP:

$params = array('user' => array(
    'firstname' => 'Bob Smith',
    'lastname' => 'Johnson'
));

And this is the same request in JSON format:

{"user":{"firstname":"Bob Smith","lastname":"Johnson"}}

I just need the Java equivalent in application/x-www-form-urlencoded format ;)

BTW. Thanks alot for answering sudocode, really appriciate it!

The entity im posting seems to be: "user=&firstname=admin&lastname=admin" which my service doesnt respond to well to ;) I need: user%5Bfirstname%5D=admin&user%5Blastname%5D=admin — Morten Nielsen
– Morten Nielsen, Commented May 9, 2011 at 16:10
You want your parameter names to be surrounded with URL encoded '[' and ']'? Is this not a quirk of your PHP function output rather than standard encoding output? — ewan.chalmers
– ewan.chalmers, Commented May 9, 2011 at 16:42
@MortenNielsen, I'm not sure (not yet tested), but it could be the answer? java-forums.org/new-java/… — user942821
– user942821, Commented Mar 19, 2012 at 3:45

Artur Kaszak · Accepted Answer · 2011-11-19 22:51:59Z

1

I've got it. Here's the sample code:

        String data = EntityUtils.toString(new UrlEncodedFormEntity(nameValuePairs,"UTF-8"));
        data = "&" + data.replaceAll("%5B0%5D", "[0]");
        StringEntity se = new StringEntity(data, "UTF-8");
        se.setContentType("application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
        se.setContentEncoding("UTF-8");
        httppost.setEntity(se);

A bit nasty, but it's working. You may want to get it a bit more generic - this is for 1-element array only.

answered Nov 19, 2011 at 22:51

Artur Kaszak

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Comments

ewan.chalmers · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-09 16:44:40Z

0

I think your code is correct, but your expectation of what output it should produce is incorrect. I don't think you should expect your parameter names to be surrounded in square brackets (urlencoded: %5B and %5D).

If you need that, then you will need to add the brackets to your Java code, e.g.

nameValuePairs.add(new BasicNameValuePair("[firstname]", "admin"));

answered May 9, 2011 at 16:44

ewan.chalmers

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3 Comments

Morten Nielsen Over a year ago

Ah this could ofcause be the case. What i've done so far for testing is using PHP's http_build_query and using Curl to do the post request. I've also tried using the Chrome Plugin named "XHR Poster" and the firefox equivalent "Poster". With params as described above (generated from PHP) it works. So I expected the service to "need" the brackets. Basically what i need is to to product the Java equivalent of this PHP $params = array('user' => array( 'firstname' => 'Bob Smith', 'lastname' => 'Johnson' ));

Morten Nielsen Over a year ago

I've update my question with some additional information regarding your answer above ;) Thanks for answering bt!

ewan.chalmers Over a year ago

OK, I'm not aware myself of a Java library which performs equivalent serialization of an Object graph into URL query parameters.

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