Android HttpClient DELETE method with request body

Question

I'm attempting to use an HttpClient DELETE method in order to delete an item from a list.I want to send the relevant item_id using request body.I am using the following way in order to send the data.

 DefaultHttpClient httpclient = new DefaultHttpClient();
                httpclient = HttpUtils.getNewHttpClient();
                HttpDelete httpPostRequest = new HttpDelete(URL);     

                **httpPostRequest.setHeader("item_id",id);**
                httpPostRequest.addHeader("Authorization", getB64Auth(username,password));
                httpPostRequest.setHeader("Accept", "application/json");
                httpPostRequest.setHeader("Content-type", "application/json");
                httpPostRequest.setHeader("Accept-Encoding", "gzip");

But i am unable to delete the item into the server database. How to user Request body in HttpDelete?

why you set Id to header of your request? where is your `Json` object? why you don't send id with `json`? — Shayan Pourvatan, Jan 13 '14 at 12:57

dube · Answer 1 · 2014-01-13T14:31:22.930

2

According to the Spec of HTTP/1.1 you cannot send a entity body with anything but POST and PUT.

Use a request parameter or an header attribute. You can use the URI Builder:

URI myURI = android.net.Uri.Builder.path(myPathString).query("item_id=1").build();

edited Jan 13 '14 at 14:31

answered Jan 13 '14 at 13:02

dube

4,898
2
23
41

Builder(myPathString) is undefined – user2791100 Jan 13 '14 at 13:26
Sorry to be a pedant but the HTTP/1.1 spec only specifically forbids a body entity on a TRACE request. Granted the DELETE method states, "The DELETE method requests that the origin server delete the resource identified by the Request-URI.", but everything else can have a body entity. – marcus.ramsden Jan 13 '14 at 13:38
@user2791100 you're right, fixed that. However, you need to look at the API to choose the right method, depending on your input (could be a full URL, a path, encoded/unencoded, ...) – dube Jan 13 '14 at 14:32
@marcus.ramsden you are right, newer versions of the spec explicitly allow a body-entity on DELETE. However, it should be noted that several servers and framework (probably mostly older versions) tend to dislike/ignore the body-entity on DELETE requests. – dube Jan 13 '14 at 14:37

score 1 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:06

1

Based on the answer over here that should give you a DELETE request with an entity field. Once you've made your own request type you could then do;

List<NameValuePair> deleteParams = new ArrayList<>();
deleteParams.add(new BasicNameValuePair("item_id", id));
UrlEncodedFormEntity entity = new UrlEncodedFormEntity(deleteParams);

HttpDeleteWithBody deleteRequest = new HttpDeleteWithBody(URL);
deleteRequest.addHeader("Authorization", getB64Auth(username,password));
deleteRequest.setHeader("Accept", "application/json");
deleteRequest.setHeader("Content-type", "application/json");
deleteRequest.setHeader("Accept-Encoding", "gzip"); 
deleteRequest.setEntity(entity);

edited May 23 '17 at 12:06

Community

1
1

answered Jan 13 '14 at 12:59

marcus.ramsden

2,633
1
22
33

How can i get the HttpDeleteWithBody class? – user2791100 Jan 13 '14 at 13:17
Take a look at the question I linked, you need to create the class as described in the accepted answer. – marcus.ramsden Jan 13 '14 at 13:19

Android HttpClient DELETE method with request body

2 Answers2