python urllib2 return JSON

Question

I want to return a JSON object from this URL. I correctly pass in my API but when I go to do

data=json.loads(a.read())
print data

I get this error

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Python27\ArcGIS10.1\lib\bdb.py", line 387, in run
    exec cmd in globals, locals
  File "<module1>", line 1, in <module>
    from urllib2 import Request, urlopen
  File "C:\Python27\ArcGIS10.1\lib\json\__init__.py", line 326, in loads
    return _default_decoder.decode(s)
  File "C:\Python27\ArcGIS10.1\lib\json\decoder.py", line 366, in decode
    obj, end = self.raw_decode(s, idx=_w(s, 0).end())
  File "C:\Python27\ArcGIS10.1\lib\json\decoder.py", line 384, in raw_decode
    raise ValueError("No JSON object could be decoded")
ValueError: No JSON object could be decoded

here is my full code

from urllib2 import Request, urlopen
import urllib2
import json
apikey='abid'
url='https://search.onboard-apis.com/propertyapi/v1.0.0/sale/detail?address1=586+FRANKLIN+AVE&address2=brooklyn+NY+11238'
weburl=Request(url)
weburl.add_header('apikey',apikey)
a=urlopen(weburl)
data=json.loads(a.read())
print data

https://developer.onboard-apis.com/docs documentation

this question has not helped Python urllib2: Receive JSON response from url

this is what a.read() prints

<Response>
  <status>
    <version>1.0.0</version>
    <code>0</code>
    <msg>SuccessWithResult</msg>
    <total>1</total>
    <page>1</page>
    <pagesize>10</pagesize>
  </status>
  <property>
    <identifier>
      <obPropId>8831109036047</obPropId>
      <fips>36047</fips>
      <apn>011340051</apn>
      <apnOrig>1134 51</apnOrig>
    </identifier>
    <lot>
      <depth>80</depth>
      <frontage>20</frontage>
      <lotnum>51</lotnum>
      <lotsize1>0.0367</lotsize1>
      <lotsize2>1600</lotsize2>
    </lot>
    <area>
      <blockNum>1134</blockNum>
      <countrysecsubd>Kings County</countrysecsubd>
      <countyuse1>B3</countyuse1>
      <muncode>27</muncode>
      <munname>CROWN HEIGHTS</munname>
      <srvySection>04</srvySection>
      <srvyTownship>07</srvyTownship>
      <taxcodearea>1</taxcodearea>
    </area>
    <address>
      <country>US</country>
      <countrySubd>NY</countrySubd>
      <line1>586 FRANKLIN AVE</line1>
      <line2>BROOKLYN, NY 11238</line2>
      <locality>Brooklyn</locality>
      <matchCode>ExaStr</matchCode>
      <oneLine>586 FRANKLIN AVE, BROOKLYN, NY 11238</oneLine>
      <postal1>11238</postal1>
      <postal2>3351</postal2>
      <postal3>C008</postal3>
    </address>
    <location>
      <accuracy>Street</accuracy>
      <elevation>0</elevation>
      <latitude>40.678325</latitude>
      <longitude>-73.955376</longitude>
      <distance>0</distance>
      <geoid>CO36047,CS3610022,DB3600095,MT30004136,ND0000006436,ND0000499119,PL3651000,SB0000105657,SB0000106357,ZI11238</geoid>
    </location>
    <summary>
      <absenteeInd>SITUS FROM SALE (ABSENTEE)</absenteeInd>
      <propclass>"Duplex, Triplex, Quadplex)"</propclass>
      <propsubtype>TWO FAMILY</propsubtype>
      <proptype>DUPLEX</proptype>
      <yearbuilt>0</yearbuilt>
      <propLandUse>DUPLEX</propLandUse>
      <propIndicator>21</propIndicator>
    </summary>
    <utilities />
    <building>
      <size>
        <bldgsize>0</bldgsize>
        <grosssize>3200</grosssize>
        <grosssizeadjusted>0</grosssizeadjusted>
        <groundfloorsize>0</groundfloorsize>
        <livingsize>0</livingsize>
        <sizeInd>GROSS SQFT</sizeInd>
        <universalsize>3200</universalsize>
      </size>
      <rooms>
        <bathfixtures>0</bathfixtures>
        <baths1qtr>0</baths1qtr>
        <baths3qtr>0</baths3qtr>
        <bathscalc>0</bathscalc>
        <bathsfull>0</bathsfull>
        <bathshalf>0</bathshalf>
        <bathstotal>0</bathstotal>
        <beds>0</beds>
        <roomsTotal>0</roomsTotal>
      </rooms>
      <interior>
        <bsmtsize>0</bsmtsize>
        <fplccount>0</fplccount>
      </interior>
      <construction />
      <parking>
        <prkgSize>0</prkgSize>
        <prkgSpaces>0</prkgSpaces>
      </parking>
      <summary>
        <bldgsNum>1</bldgsNum>
        <bldgType>TWO FAMILY</bldgType>
        <levels>3</levels>
        <storyDesc>TWO FAMILY</storyDesc>
        <unitsCount>4</unitsCount>
        <yearbuilteffective>1910</yearbuilteffective>
      </summary>
    </building>
    <vintage>
      <lastModified>2016-5-24</lastModified>
      <pubDate>2016-5-24</pubDate>
    </vintage>
    <sale>
      <salesearchdate>2016-1-27</salesearchdate>
      <saleTransDate>2016-1-27</saleTransDate>
      <amount>
        <saleamt>1650000</saleamt>
        <salerecdate>2016-2-10</salerecdate>
        <saledisclosuretype>0</saledisclosuretype>
        <saledocnum>46760</saledocnum>
        <saletranstype>Resale</saletranstype>
      </amount>
      <calculation>
        <priceperbed>0</priceperbed>
        <pricepersizeunit>516</pricepersizeunit>
      </calculation>
      <ownershiptransferpercentage>0</ownershiptransferpercentage>
      <resaleornewconstruction>M</resaleornewconstruction>
      <cashormortgagepurchase>M</cashormortgagepurchase>
    </sale>
  </property>
</Response>

Per the documentation you linked to, you're missing the `Accept` header. And yeah, as Ignacio said, it would be good to know what `a.read()` is actually giving you. (Presumably there isn't JSON in there, and there might be a useful error message.) — user94559, Sep 22 '17 at 17:59
E.g., try `raw_content = a.read(); print raw_content; data=json.loads(raw_content) ...` — user94559, Sep 22 '17 at 17:59
Per your edit, presumably you can now see why you can't decode the response as JSON. :-) Add an `Accept` header with `application/json` as its value, and I assume you'll actually get JSON back. — user94559, Sep 22 '17 at 18:02

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 22 '17 at 18:03

Based on the documentation link you provided, you are leaving out the Accept header.

There are two required headers:

Accept - set to either

application/json

application/xml

Without this header, it appears to be defaulting to application/xml and returning the information formatted as xml rather than json

To return json, you just need to set the Accept to application/json

weburl.add_header('Accept', 'application/json')

python urllib2 return JSON

1 Answers1