HTTP POST request to PHP REST API using Flutter

Question

So I have been at this for way way too long but I just can't figure out why this isn't working what I'm trying to do is send some JSON post data to an existing PHP REST API that I've created and then read that JSON data like $_POST["username"] and I can't really change how the API works as it's used by another application which it works perfectly with so it's something to do with my flutter code but I'm not sure what as I started learning it today.

My flutter code:

import 'package:http/http.dart' as http;

http.Response response = await http.post(
    'https://path.to.php.file',
    headers: <String, String>{
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    },
    body: jsonEncode(<String, String>{
      "formname": "login",
      "username": globals.currentUsername, // value = futurelucas4502
      "password": globals.currentPassword, // value = password
      "datetime": DateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss").format(DateTime.now()) // MySql Datetime format
    }),
  );

  debugPrint("Response: " + response.body);
  debugPrint("Status: " + (response.statusCode).toString());

Cut down PHP code:

<?php
    ini_set('display_errors', 1);
    ini_set('display_startup_errors', 1);
    error_reporting(E_ALL);
    echo file_get_contents('php://input');
    echo '<br>';
    echo $_POST["username"];
?>

Output:

Response: {"formname":"login","username":"futurelucas4502","password":"password","datetime":"2020-05-12 00:01:33"}<br><br />

<b>Notice</b>:  Undefined index: username in <b>/storage/ssd2/545/12156545/public_html/temp/index.php</b> on line <b>7</b><br />

Status: 200

What can I change in my flutter code to make this work?
EDIT: Just for clarity I do want to handle an application/json request the only reason file_get_contents is there is to test if the PHP API was actually receiving the data.

you can't get only the username value in your php script , is that right ? — Yassine CHABLI
– Yassine CHABLI, Commented May 11, 2020 at 23:33
The PHP code is quite confusing. Do you want to handle an application/json request or application/x-www-form-urlencoded? The file_get_contents('php://input') suggests the former but $_POST["username"] suggests the latter. You cannot have both. What does this other application use? — Phil
– Phil, Commented May 11, 2020 at 23:44
I want to use application/json and $_POST["username"] but thank you i have a solution now — Lucas
– Lucas, Commented May 12, 2020 at 0:06

Richard Heap · Accepted Answer · 2020-05-11 23:34:29Z

3

It looks like you should just be sending a urlencoded form, rather than JSON encoding the post data.

Try:

body: <String, String>{
  "formname": "login",
  "username": globals.currentUsername, // value = futurelucas4502
  "password": globals.currentPassword, // value = password
  "datetime": DateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss").format(DateTime.now()) // MySql Datetime format
},

answered May 11, 2020 at 23:34

Richard Heap

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2 Comments

Lucas Over a year ago

that results in

Exception has occurred. StateError (Bad state: Cannot set the body fields of a Request with content-type "application/json".)

Richard Heap Over a year ago

So, remove that header, which makes sense, as you are not sending JSON, so should not be setting the content type.

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