POST Request for REST webservice

Hi all,

I've written code for exposing methods as REST Webservice. My code is working for GET Requests but for POST requests, it is giving 400 Bad Request error.

I have an object which have DateTime type variables and these variables can be null.

For Post request, when I leaves these variable values as blank, then I get 400 Bad request error; otherwise it works.

So how can I achieve the nullable DateTime variables.

Kindly suggest.

Thanks in advance.

Re: POST Request for REST webservice

Nullable<DateTime> or DateTime?

Re: POST Request for REST webservice

Hi agarwal.peeush,

Are you using WCF to build the REST service? If so, WCF 4.0 REST service provides a "help page" feature which can generate the sample syntax of HTTP GET/POST request used for invoking the REST service operations

#WCF Web HTTP Service Help Page
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee230442.aspx

So for a REST operation(use HTTP POST) like:

[WebInvoke]
[OperationContract]
DateTime? GetDateTime(DateTime? date);

The help page will show you the HTTP POST request format like:

The following is an example request Xml body:

<dateTime xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/2003/10/Serialization/">1999-05-31T11:20:00</dateTime>

The following is an example request Json body:

"\/Date(928120800000+0800)\/"

here are some further reference on WCF REST programming:

#WCF Web HTTP Programming Model Overview
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb412172.aspx

#WCF REST Service Template 40(CS)
http://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/fbc7e5c1-a0d2-41bd-9d7b-e54c845394cd

Re: POST Request for REST webservice

Thanks for the input, but I guess I need to be more clear with my requirement. For this I am attaching my code with the POST request that I want user to send.

Code for handling POST request:

public String PostCustomer(CreateCustomer cust) { //if (!WebService.ValidateCreateCustomer(newCustomer)) //{ // return WebService.CreateCustomer(newCustomer); // //return DbClass.PersistCustomer(Connection.Connect(), cust); //} return "I've got this " + cust; //Just for check that my request is being handled or not }

public class CreateCustomer { public enum NewDeviceBehaviorType { MANAGED, UNMANAGED, UNASSIGNED }; public enum MailCultureType { }; public string Name { get; set; } public DateTime BillingStartDate { get; set; } public DateTime BillingEndDate { get; set; } public int levelID { get; set; } public String Comment { get; set; } private string newdeviceBehavior; public string NewDeviceBehavior { get { return newdeviceBehavior; } set { this.newdeviceBehavior = value; } } public List<string> MailTo { get; set; } public List<string> MailCC { get; set; } public List<string> MailBCC { get; set; } public String MailCulture { get; set; } }

And using Fiddler, I'm sending the POST request as following:

POST request Body:-

<CreateCustomer xmlns="http://schemas.datacontract.org/2004/07/DCAService.Models">
<BillingEndDate></BillingEndDate>
<BillingStartDate></BillingStartDate>
<Comment>Testing</Comment>
<MailBCC>
    <string xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/2003/10/Serialization/Arrays"></string>
</MailBCC>
<MailCC>
    <string xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/2003/10/Serialization/Arrays"></string>
</MailCC>
<MailCulture>en-US</MailCulture>
<MailTo>
    <string xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/2003/10/Serialization/Arrays">somemail@some.com</string>
</MailTo>
<Name>Someone</Name>
<NewDeviceBehavior>UNMANAGED</NewDeviceBehavior>
<levelID>22</levelID>
</CreateCustomer>

POST request Header:-

User-Agent: Fiddler
Host: localhost:8000
Content-Length: 707
Content-Type: text/xml

And for this request I'm getting HTTP/1.1 400 Bad Request.

Kindly suggest.