Backbone Sync return an empty $_POST array

Question

I'm trying to do my first RESTful app with Backbone and Yii Framework. I had no problem with the GET methods but I'm stuck now with the POST method, to create a new element.

I have a Comment model in Backbone:

var commentModel = Backbone.Model.extend({

    urlRoot: "index.php/api/comments",
    idAttribute: 'id',

    defaults: {
        content: "Empty comment",
        status: 1
    }
});

In my view I add a function to create a new Comment passing the values from the relative form:

on_submit: function(e) {
            var new_comment = new Comment({author_id: this.$('#author_text').val(), content: this.$('#content_text').val(), post_id: this.$("#post_text").val(), status: this.$("#status_text").val()});

         new_comment.save();
        },

Looking the request with Firebug it seems all right, in the POST tab I can see all the values:

JSON            
author_id "7"   
content "Epic fail"
post_id "7" 
status "2"

Source 
{"content":"Epic fail","status":"2","author_id":"7","post_id":"7"}

But in my php Api the $_POST var is empty!

foreach($_POST as $var=>$value) {

     if($model->hasAttribute($var))
        $model->$var = $value;
     else
        $this->_sendResponse(500);
}

Anyone has some ideas? Reading the documentation of Backbone.Sync I understand that it should use POST for create request.

I found a workaround getting the values from:

file_get_contents('php://input')

but id doesn't feel right to me...

Thanks.

Something like that stackoverflow.com/questions/10930789/… ? — nikoshr
– nikoshr, Commented Aug 2, 2012 at 9:19
The $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] value is "POST" so the values should be inside the $_POST array, I'm right? — Ingro
– Ingro, Commented Aug 2, 2012 at 9:39
No, the method is a POST, but the data is sent the HTTP body. It is not sent as a regular form would be with parameters set and a application/x-www-form-urlencoded as mime type. Check what is sent in this Fiddle jsfiddle.net/RK7LN — nikoshr
– nikoshr, Commented Aug 2, 2012 at 9:54

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 11:51:22Z

10

From Backbone.sync documentation,

With the default implementation, when Backbone.sync sends up a request to save a model, its attributes will be passed, serialized as JSON, and sent in the HTTP body with content-type application/json.

which means you won't receive data in parameters like in a regular form post but in the body of the HTTP response.

You've got three options to deal with this behavior:

Modify your server code to understand REST requests, see Insert Backbone.js model into MySQL database for example
See if Backbone.emulateJSON could answer your needs
Overwrite Backbone.sync and send the data to better fit your server

edited May 23, 2017 at 11:51

CommunityBot

11 silver badge

answered Aug 2, 2012 at 10:25

nikoshr

33.4k34 gold badges95 silver badges112 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

1 Comment

Ingro Over a year ago

Well it seems that I made a wrong assumption. Thanks for the clarification, now I'll make some test and see what solution will fit better my app.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Backbone Sync return an empty $_POST array

1 Answer 1

1 Comment

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

1 Comment

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related