iOS Today Extension POST request to Google Directions API - ios

Question

I don't know whether I missed something obvious or not but what should appear correct is not working. Maybe I need a pair of fresh eyes ?
I am testing Today Extension (widget) for one of my app and in this widget, I am trying to make a request to Google Directions API.
My normal app itself has no problem making and receiving the request but the widget itself is not playing right.
In my normal app, I'm using AFNetworking but AFNetworking has some problems with [UIApplication sharedApplication] not being accessible inside a widget, so I am resorting to using NSURLSession to make my POST request:
NSError *error;
NSURLSessionConfiguration *configuration = [NSURLSessionConfiguration defaultSessionConfiguration];
NSURLSession *session = [NSURLSession sessionWithConfiguration:configuration delegate:self delegateQueue:nil];
NSString *directionsURL = [#"https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/" stringByAppendingString:#"directions/json"];
NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:directionsURL];
NSMutableURLRequest *request = [NSMutableURLRequest requestWithURL:url
cachePolicy:NSURLRequestUseProtocolCachePolicy
timeoutInterval:60.0];
[request addValue:#"application/json" forHTTPHeaderField:#"Content-Type"];
[request addValue:#"application/json" forHTTPHeaderField:#"Accept"];
[request setHTTPMethod:#"POST"];
// ------------------------------------------------------------------
// setup params
// ------------------------------------------------------------------
NSMutableDictionary *params = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] init];
NSString *strOrigin = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"%lf,%lf", fromLocation.latitude, fromLocation.longitude];
NSString *strDestination = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"%lf,%lf", toLocation.latitude, toLocation.longitude];
[params setValue:strOrigin forKey:#"origin"];
[params setValue:strDestination forKey:#"destination"];
[params setValue:#"transit" forKey:#"mode"];
[params setValue:#"true" forKey:#"alternatives"];
NSString *GoogleAPIBrowserKey = [[NSBundle mainBundle] objectForInfoDictionaryKey:#"GoogleAPIBrowserKey"];
[params setValue:GoogleAPIBrowserKey forKey:#"key"];
[params setValue:#"fewer_transfers" forKey:#"transit_routing_preference"];
DLog(#"widget params = %#", params);
NSData *postData = [NSJSONSerialization dataWithJSONObject:params options:0 error:&error];
if(error)
{
DLog(#"error setting up PostData: %#", error.localizedDescription);
}
[request addValue:[NSString stringWithFormat:#"%d", postData.length] forHTTPHeaderField:#"Content-Length"];
[request setHTTPBody:postData];
NSURLSessionDataTask *postDataTask = [session dataTaskWithRequest:request completionHandler:^(NSData *data, NSURLResponse *response, NSError *error) {
if(error)
{
DLog(#"Widget Error requesting route: %#", error.localizedDescription);
}
else
{
NSError *jsonError = nil;
NSDictionary* responseDict = [NSJSONSerialization JSONObjectWithData:data options:kNilOptions error:&jsonError];
if(error)
{
DLog(#"Error converting widget response data: %#", error.localizedDescription);
}
DLog(#"Widget Google Response = %#", responseDict);
}
}];
[postDataTask resume];
My Xcode console outputs the following:
widget params = {
alternatives = true;
destination = "-31.834382,115.804225";
key = **********************;
mode = transit;
origin = "-31.833961,115.806565";
"transit_routing_preference" = "fewer_transfers";
}
Widget Google Response =
{
"error_message" = "Invalid request. Missing the 'origin' parameter.";
routes = (
);
status = "REQUEST_DENIED";
}
Which leads me to believe the HTTP Body of my request is lost somehow during the network request operation. How can 'origin' be missing when the log shows it as part of my params dictionary ?
I've tried po data to see if the data variable was nil but it was not nil.
I'm scratching my head over this one. If anyone can see where I've gone wrong and point it out to me, I'll be one happy chap.

Answer 1

Why do I always do this to myself ?
Short Answer
Use GET Request lad, not POST.
Long Answer
Went for a walk, came back home, 1 hour later. Problem solved.
Upon looking at my normal app version of my code that uses AFNetworking, I realised my noobness mistake.
I was using POST request in my Today Extension when I should be using GET request like how I was doing it in my AFNetworking code.
For that reason, the new params needs to be URL encoded instead of being part of HTTP Body, so new code is now:
NSError *error;
NSURLSessionConfiguration *configuration = [NSURLSessionConfiguration defaultSessionConfiguration];
NSURLSession *session = [NSURLSession sessionWithConfiguration:configuration];
// ------------------------------------------------------------------
// setup URL params
// ------------------------------------------------------------------
NSMutableString *urlParams = [[NSMutableString alloc] initWithString:#"?"];
NSString *strOrigin = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"%lf,%lf", fromLocation.latitude, fromLocation.longitude];
NSString *strDestination = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"%lf,%lf", toLocation.latitude, toLocation.longitude];
NSString *GoogleAPIBrowserKey = [[NSBundle mainBundle] objectForInfoDictionaryKey:#"GoogleAPIBrowserKey"];
[urlParams appendFormat:#"origin=%#&destination=%#&mode=transit&alternatives=true&key=%#&transit_routing_preference=fewer_transfers", strOrigin, strDestination, GoogleAPIBrowserKey];
NSString *directionsURL = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/%#%#", #"directions/json", urlParams];
NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:directionsURL];
NSMutableURLRequest *request = [[NSMutableURLRequest alloc] initWithURL:url];
[request setHTTPMethod:#"GET"];
NSURLSessionDataTask *dataTask = [session dataTaskWithRequest:request completionHandler:^(NSData *data, NSURLResponse *response, NSError *error) {
if(error)
{
DLog(#"Widget Error requesting route: %#", error.localizedDescription);
}
else
{
NSError *jsonError = nil;
NSDictionary* responseDict = [NSJSONSerialization JSONObjectWithData:data options:kNilOptions error:&jsonError];
if(jsonError)
{
DLog(#"Error converting widget response data: %#", error.localizedDescription);
}
DLog(#"Widget Google Response = %#", responseDict);
}
}];
[dataTask resume];
Terribad. I'm sorry, I've been staring at the screen for hours today :D