POST request with a simple string in body with Alamofire - ios

Question

how is it possible to send a POST request with a simple string in the HTTP body with Alamofire in my iOS app?
As default Alamofire needs parameters for a request:
Alamofire.request(.POST, "http://mywebsite.example/post-request", parameters: ["foo": "bar"])
These parameters contain key-value-pairs. But I don't want to send a request with a key-value string in the HTTP body.
I mean something like this:
Alamofire.request(.POST, "http://mywebsite.example/post-request", body: "myBodyString")

Answer 1

Your example Alamofire.request(.POST, "http://mywebsite.example/post-request", parameters: ["foo": "bar"]) already contains "foo=bar" string as its body.
But if you really want string with custom format. You can do this:
Alamofire.request(.POST, "http://mywebsite.example/post-request", parameters: [:], encoding: .Custom({
(convertible, params) in
var mutableRequest = convertible.URLRequest.copy() as NSMutableURLRequest
mutableRequest.HTTPBody = "myBodyString".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding, allowLossyConversion: false)
return (mutableRequest, nil)
}))
Note: parameters should not be nil
UPDATE (Alamofire 4.0, Swift 3.0):
In Alamofire 4.0 API has changed. So for custom encoding we need value/object which conforms to ParameterEncoding protocol.
extension String: ParameterEncoding {
public func encode(_ urlRequest: URLRequestConvertible, with parameters: Parameters?) throws -> URLRequest {
var request = try urlRequest.asURLRequest()
request.httpBody = data(using: .utf8, allowLossyConversion: false)
return request
}
}
Alamofire.request("http://mywebsite.example/post-request", method: .post, parameters: [:], encoding: "myBody", headers: [:])

Answer 2

You can do this:
I created a separated request Alamofire object.
Convert string to Data
Put in httpBody the data
var request = URLRequest(url: URL(string: url)!)
request.httpMethod = HTTPMethod.post.rawValue
request.setValue("application/json", forHTTPHeaderField: "Content-Type")
let pjson = attendences.toJSONString(prettyPrint: false)
let data = (pjson?.data(using: .utf8))! as Data
request.httpBody = data
Alamofire.request(request).responseJSON { (response) in
print(response)
}

Answer 3

If you use Alamofire, it is enough to set encoding type to URLEncoding.httpBody
With that, you can send your data as a string in the httpbody although you defined it as json in your code.
It worked for me..
Updated for Badr Filali's question:
var url = "http://..."
let _headers : HTTPHeaders = ["Content-Type":"application/x-www-form-urlencoded"]
let params : Parameters = ["grant_type":"password","username":"mail","password":"pass"]
let url = NSURL(string:"url" as String)
request(url, method: .post, parameters: params, encoding: URLEncoding.httpBody, headers: _headers).responseJSON(
completionHandler: { response in response
let jsonResponse = response.result.value as! NSDictionary
if jsonResponse["access_token"] != nil
{
access_token = String(describing: jsonResponse["accesstoken"]!)
}
})

Answer 4

I modified #Silmaril's answer to extend Alamofire's Manager.
This solution uses EVReflection to serialize an object directly:
//Extend Alamofire so it can do POSTs with a JSON body from passed object
extension Alamofire.Manager {
public class func request(
method: Alamofire.Method,
_ URLString: URLStringConvertible,
bodyObject: EVObject)
-> Request
{
return Manager.sharedInstance.request(
method,
URLString,
parameters: [:],
encoding: .Custom({ (convertible, params) in
let mutableRequest = convertible.URLRequest.copy() as! NSMutableURLRequest
mutableRequest.HTTPBody = bodyObject.toJsonString().dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding, allowLossyConversion: false)
return (mutableRequest, nil)
})
)
}
}
Then you can use it like this:
Alamofire.Manager.request(.POST, endpointUrlString, bodyObject: myObjectToPost)

Answer 5

Based on Illya Krit's answer
Details
Xcode Version 10.2.1 (10E1001)
Swift 5
Alamofire 4.8.2
Solution
import Alamofire
struct BodyStringEncoding: ParameterEncoding {
private let body: String
init(body: String) { self.body = body }
func encode(_ urlRequest: URLRequestConvertible, with parameters: Parameters?) throws -> URLRequest {
guard var urlRequest = urlRequest.urlRequest else { throw Errors.emptyURLRequest }
guard let data = body.data(using: .utf8) else { throw Errors.encodingProblem }
urlRequest.httpBody = data
return urlRequest
}
}
extension BodyStringEncoding {
enum Errors: Error {
case emptyURLRequest
case encodingProblem
}
}
extension BodyStringEncoding.Errors: LocalizedError {
var errorDescription: String? {
switch self {
case .emptyURLRequest: return "Empty url request"
case .encodingProblem: return "Encoding problem"
}
}
}
Usage
Alamofire.request(url, method: .post, parameters: nil, encoding: BodyStringEncoding(body: text), headers: headers).responseJSON { response in
print(response)
}

Answer 6

If you want to post string as raw body in request
return Alamofire.request(.POST, "http://mywebsite.com/post-request" , parameters: [:], encoding: .Custom({
(convertible, params) in
let mutableRequest = convertible.URLRequest.copy() as! NSMutableURLRequest
let data = ("myBodyString" as NSString).dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding)
mutableRequest.HTTPBody = data
return (mutableRequest, nil)
}))

Answer 7

I have done it for array from strings. This solution is adjusted for string in body.
The "native" way from Alamofire 4:
struct JSONStringArrayEncoding: ParameterEncoding {
private let myString: String
init(string: String) {
self.myString = string
}
func encode(_ urlRequest: URLRequestConvertible, with parameters: Parameters?) throws -> URLRequest {
var urlRequest = urlRequest.urlRequest
let data = myString.data(using: .utf8)!
if urlRequest?.value(forHTTPHeaderField: "Content-Type") == nil {
urlRequest?.setValue("application/json", forHTTPHeaderField: "Content-Type")
}
urlRequest?.httpBody = data
return urlRequest!
}
}
And then make your request with:
Alamofire.request("your url string", method: .post, parameters: [:], encoding: JSONStringArrayEncoding.init(string: "My string for body"), headers: [:])

Answer 8

I've used answer of #afrodev as reference. In my case I take parameter to my function as string that have to be posted in request. So, here is the code:
func defineOriginalLanguage(ofText: String) {
let text = ofText
let stringURL = basicURL + "identify?version=2018-05-01"
let url = URL(string: stringURL)
var request = URLRequest(url: url!)
request.httpMethod = HTTPMethod.post.rawValue
request.setValue("text/plain", forHTTPHeaderField: "Content-Type")
request.httpBody = text.data(using: .utf8)
Alamofire.request(request)
.responseJSON { response in
print(response)
}
}

Answer 9

func paramsFromJSON(json: String) -> [String : AnyObject]?
{
let objectData: NSData = (json.dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding))!
var jsonDict: [ String : AnyObject]!
do {
jsonDict = try NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(objectData, options: .MutableContainers) as! [ String : AnyObject]
return jsonDict
} catch {
print("JSON serialization failed: \(error)")
return nil
}
}
let json = Mapper().toJSONString(loginJSON, prettyPrint: false)
Alamofire.request(.POST, url + "/login", parameters: paramsFromJSON(json!), encoding: .JSON)

Answer 10

My case, posting alamofire with content-type: "Content-Type":"application/x-www-form-urlencoded", I had to change encoding of alampfire post request
from : JSONENCODING.DEFAULT
to: URLEncoding.httpBody
here:
let url = ServicesURls.register_token()
let body = [
"UserName": "Minus28",
"grant_type": "password",
"Password": "1a29fcd1-2adb-4eaa-9abf-b86607f87085",
"DeviceNumber": "e9c156d2ab5421e5",
"AppNotificationKey": "test-test-test",
"RegistrationEmail": email,
"RegistrationPassword": password,
"RegistrationType": 2
] as [String : Any]
Alamofire.request(url, method: .post, parameters: body, encoding: URLEncoding.httpBody , headers: setUpHeaders()).log().responseJSON { (response) in

Answer 11

let parameters = ["foo": "bar"]
// All three of these calls are equivalent
AF.request("https://httpbin.org/post", method: .post, parameters: parameters)
AF.request("https://httpbin.org/post", method: .post, parameters: parameters, encoder: URLEncodedFormParameterEncoder.default)
AF.request("https://httpbin.org/post", method: .post, parameters: parameters, encoder: URLEncodedFormParameterEncoder(destination: .httpBody))

Answer 12

Xcode 8.X , Swift 3.X
Easy Use;
let params:NSMutableDictionary? = ["foo": "bar"];
let ulr = NSURL(string:"http://mywebsite.com/post-request" as String)
let request = NSMutableURLRequest(url: ulr! as URL)
request.httpMethod = "POST"
request.setValue("application/json", forHTTPHeaderField: "Content-Type")
let data = try! JSONSerialization.data(withJSONObject: params!, options: JSONSerialization.WritingOptions.prettyPrinted)
let json = NSString(data: data, encoding: String.Encoding.utf8.rawValue)
if let json = json {
print(json)
}
request.httpBody = json!.data(using: String.Encoding.utf8.rawValue);
Alamofire.request(request as! URLRequestConvertible)
.responseJSON { response in
// do whatever you want here
print(response.request)
print(response.response)
print(response.data)
print(response.result)
}