Post nested params (hash) using HTTPClient

Question

I needed a to have a multipart http post from one app to another that included a file attachment and a nested params hash. I tried using HTTPClient which worked for the file attachment, however I could not get params to send in a nested format.

data_params = Hash.new
data_params[:params] = Hash.new
data_params[:params][:f] = Hash.new
data_params[:params][:d] = Hash.new
data_params[:params][:d][:name] = "Mich"
data_params[:params][:d][:city] = "Ostin"
data_params[:params][:f][:event] = "Sundance"

http_client = HTTPClient.new
body = data_params[:params]
response = http_client.post('http://localhost:3030/receiver/receive_test_data/', body)

with the receiver app seeing the params as {"d"=>"nameMichcityOstin","f"=>"eventSundance"} (with the hash collapsed into strings on the nested level)

I wonder if this is a limitation on http posts or am I simply doing something wrong. I have worked with JSON before, which I know supports a nested structure, but there I have no idea how to add file attachments. I appreciate any suggestions or alternative methods that would comply with 'best practices' on doing something like this.

Answer 1

I'm not sure which HTTPClient library you're using so I haven't been able to try this, but what if you use keys like this

data_params[:params]['d[name]'] = "Mich"
data_params[:params]['d[city]'] = "Ostin"

i.e. data_params[:params] is just a one level hash.

and then the receiving application will unpack this into the nested hash that you expect.