HTTP Post Parameters are passed json encoded to $_POST - php

Question

I can't figure out how to properly send POST parameters.
My Swift 3:
let parameters = ["name": "thom", "password": "12345"] as Dictionary<String, String>
let url = URL(string: "https://mywebsite.com/test.php")!
let session = URLSession.shared
var request = URLRequest(url: url)
request.httpMethod = "POST"
do
{
request.httpBody = try JSONSerialization.data(withJSONObject: parameters)
}
catch let error
{
print(error.localizedDescription)
}
request.addValue("application/x-www-form-urlencoded", forHTTPHeaderField: "Content-Type")
request.addValue("application/json", forHTTPHeaderField: "Accept")
let task = session.dataTask(with: request as URLRequest, completionHandler:
{
data, response, error in
guard error == nil else
{
print(error as Any)
return
}
guard let data = data else
{
return
}
do
{
if let json = try JSONSerialization.jsonObject(with: data, options: .mutableContainers) as? [String: Any]
{
print(json)
print(json["post"]!)
}
else
{
print("no json")
}
}
catch let error
{
print(error.localizedDescription)
}
})
task.resume()
My PHP:
<?php
header('Content-Type: application/json');
if(empty($_POST)) echo json_encode(array('post'=>'empty'));
else echo json_encode($_POST+array('post'=>'not_empty'));
exit;
If I set the content-type header (in Swift) to application/json I get:
["post": empty]
empty
If I set it to application/x-www-form-urlencoded I get:
["{\"name\":\"thom\",\"password\":\"12345\"}": , "post": not_empty]
not_empty
How do I send the dictionary to my server as $_POST key/value pairs, not as a json_encoded string?

Answer 1

You want to percent-escape the request into a x-www-form-urlencoded request, like so:
let parameters = ["name": "thom", "password": "12345"]
let url = URL(string: "https://mywebsite.com/test.php")!
var request = URLRequest(url: url)
request.httpMethod = "POST"
request.updateHttpBody(with: parameters)
request.setValue("application/x-www-form-urlencoded", forHTTPHeaderField: "Content-Type")
let task = session.dataTask(with: request) { data, response, error in
guard let data = data, error == nil else {
print("\(error)")
return
}
// handle response here
}
task.resume()
Where
extension URLRequest {
/// Populate the `httpBody` of `application/x-www-form-urlencoded` request.
///
/// - parameter parameters: A dictionary of keys and values to be added to the request
mutating func updateHttpBody(with parameters: [String : String]) {
let parameterArray = parameters.map { (key, value) -> String in
return "\(key.addingPercentEncodingForQueryValue()!)=\(value.addingPercentEncodingForQueryValue()!)"
}
httpBody = parameterArray.joined(separator: "&").data(using: .utf8)
}
}
extension String {
/// Percent escape value to be added to a HTTP request
///
/// This percent-escapes all characters besides the alphanumeric character set and "-", ".", "_", and "*".
/// This will also replace spaces with the "+" character as outlined in the application/x-www-form-urlencoded spec:
///
/// http://www.w3.org/TR/html5/forms.html#application/x-www-form-urlencoded-encoding-algorithm
///
/// - returns: Return percent escaped string.
func addingPercentEncodingForQueryValue() -> String? {
let generalDelimitersToEncode = ":#[]#?/"
let subDelimitersToEncode = "!$&'()*+,;="
var allowed = CharacterSet.urlQueryAllowed
allowed.remove(charactersIn: "\(generalDelimitersToEncode)\(subDelimitersToEncode)")
return addingPercentEncoding(withAllowedCharacters: allowed)?.replacingOccurrences(of: " ", with: "+")
}
}