Server side REST POST request

shaun_brown · February 3, 2021, 7:55am

Backendless Version Online

Application ID: F5376898-F067-441E-9263-EFE187DBB4FF

I want to pass data from backendless database tables and Files storage to a 3rd party API to process and format the data. The 3rd party requires a POST request with an authentication header. I thought this would be done through the Business Logic workflow but I don’t see how to use a 3rd party HTTPS address here. Thanks in advance for helping a novice.

stanislaw.grin · February 3, 2021, 7:57am

Hi @shaun_brown ,

what language do you use in Business Logic?

shaun_brown · February 3, 2021, 7:58am

I am just starting but I have the code example for the 3rd party in javascript

shaun_brown · February 3, 2021, 8:01am

This is the API documentation: https://www.useanvil.com/docs/api/fill-pdf

stanislaw.grin · February 3, 2021, 8:11am

I can recommend you to use Backendless.Request , this is a part of JS-SDK

Backendless.Request.post('https://app.useanvil.com/api/v1/fill/{pdfTemplateID}.pdf', [...here is your request data])
  .set('x-header-key', 'x-header-value')
  .set({ 'y-header-key': 'y-header-value', 'z-header-key': 'z-header-value' })

you can find more info on how to use Backendless.Request here https://github.com/Backendless/Request

Regards,
Stanislaw

shaun_brown · February 9, 2021, 4:37pm

Is it possible to do this codeless as well? When I try a POST request from the HTTPS I can see the Backendless.Request code but I am a bit unsure of how to proceed. I added the authorization header but when I invoke the method the external HTTPS address is appended to a Backendless address. Is this correct. Sorry again for the newbie questions. I continue to work through the documentation.

vladimir-upirov · February 9, 2021, 4:52pm

Hello @shaun_brown

Could you please share your Codeless Logic?

shaun_brown · February 10, 2021, 8:19am

Here is a screenshot. Once the method is deployed and invoked the cURL starts "curl -X “POST” “https://eu-api.backendless.com/…” I would have expected it to start with the HTTPS address listed in the method.

vladimir-upirov · February 10, 2021, 8:58am

Thank you for sharing!
Let me ask you a few questions to get more understanding about your problem:

what do you mean the cURL starts "curl -X “POST” “https://eu-api.backendless.com/…”? Is this curl is pointing to the API Service method?
Are you sure the request body is configured correctly? I can see that you send an object with only one property propName where value is a string

Regards, Vlad

shaun_brown · February 10, 2021, 4:36pm

Yes pointing to the API service method.
The payload is a single JSON to fill out fields in a PDF file.

It seems to be working now. I added a content-type to the header and it seems to work.

shaun_brown · February 24, 2021, 1:07pm

I have some very simple codeless logic that sends a POST request with JSON data to an external service. The return payload should be a completed PDF document.

The image of my current logic communicates with the external service and returns what I assume is a PDF file:

Screen Shot 2021-02-24 at 2.03.07 PM

I assume that I can attach a separate piece of logic to the “return” component of the API service and this will allow me to store the file and later access by my frontend but I am a bit unclear on how to do this.

Thanks for all the assistance.