Node.js Request GET returning raw data instead of JSON

Question

I have a particularly interesting issue, So I am trying to use Stackoverflow Search/Advanced API to query stackoverflow to get questions. I have tried it using PostMan and its returning JSON but in my Node.js application it is returning me raw data.

 exports.GetQuestions = function(query,requestify)
 {
   var request = require("request");

   var options = { method: 'GET',
     url: 'https://api.stackexchange.com/2.2/search/advanced',
     qs: 
      { order: 'desc',
        sort: 'activity',
        site: 'stackoverflow',
        q: 'Error: Can\'t find Python executable 
 "C:\\Users\\harig\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python36\\python.EXE", 
 you can set the PYTHON env variable' },
     headers: 
      { 'postman-token': 'b0b78842-94cd-a0b9-39cc-0e099136900c',
        'cache-control': 'no-cache',
        'Accept': 'application/json' } };

   request(options, function (error, response, body) {
     if (error) throw new Error(error);

     console.log(body);
   });
 }`

I generated the code for the request using postman itself, I tried it on different API and the same code is working fine.

I need help in figuring out how to get JSON as response.

Here is the response:

cache-control: private content-type: application/json; charset=utf-8 content-encoding: gzip access-control-allow-origin: * access-control-allow-methods: GET, POST access-control-allow-credentials: false x-content-type-options: nosniff date: Sun, 21 Jan 2018 16:12:19 GMT connection: close content-length: 4780

Here is a sample of data returned:

����U��"�z�f%��-??ӵm��N�|�f&��fે�n�.""��DX�Ƀ�P��J�(�p�U�Q�N47 �1�M�.�|]�t5agA��0�rc �g�3��} +�Y�q/�pL��M�RƜGwt�B��ڍ�@��9(>s��ʀ6�@�w��e/��Mu�ʮ��9,�ML| �s9�a��ߑW�r�[��ߗa��a�~6��>ͦ��u�3��a�|P-�ᣖ�S' � �#v�D�PXM�i��ȹ��O�{2N�s��? ��ڝ��O_��/ ��ř��M3��w�ܾ��g"�� $�(%"�r#S�Px3��;?4^}�܏�n�S�f7U[��g7� a�cȩbҷ�Oq��X,8w�5Szp�P�y��rg�<��m�;�u��|��aXJ��!��~X�bK�#�b5��,)W+��)��+n[cl()��lC> okoSHcY��c\�TW0ƊLM ��ݒ��oN9دhV��t��rj�� *�cPޝ�~l��E�́Ѳ�o3Dp�Eus侫��L��R�n��i�`+��DF��h $~377s=��W��xP��#�CAN�1�T�Ub0c$�e��S��&��B�}�~��Q��m��m��a�|��sL�Y;z8��T}�j~�]޽}��El��]|��B��*nt�^�,�� k' 7�J�IO�i�d�m�4"�N��Ǳ��1䞦'�[�&�j��~�6�).G��v=��gn��x4�6nh��V��o�)��^ಧ�2��['6��z� �#�/��J��j+vD�xƍ)N��qC[C��U��Z|��vh��_��>�gd�9��v��.��i�U�zJ��,�*J��RBt�s��iӮo��f�^A3��$�"7�N��!�l�b,"��96�@��C��.��a�52'a�v�U��9��v]�l�~kΎ��ԌG�藊<9�eN;]t��n�k?;cu� L�u}�t��q;৯��=��Y��ZK��AL.�L

When you mentioned it as raw is it just string? Can you post example.If its just string what don't you use `Json.parse`. — Raghu, Jan 21 '18 at 14:30
Hey thanks for the comments guys, I have updated the question to include a sample of data being returned. — Hari Govind, Jan 21 '18 at 15:40

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 21 '18 at 16:24

The response you received is gzip compressed as shown by content-encoding: gzip.

Set gzip:true in your options.

var options = { method: 'GET',
    gzip: true,
     url: 'https://api.stackexchange.com/2.2/search/advanced',
     qs: 
      { order: 'desc',
        sort: 'activity',
        site: 'stackoverflow',
        q: 'Error: Can\'t find Python executable 
 "C:\\Users\\harig\\AppData\\Local\\Programs\\Python\\Python36\\python.EXE", 
 you can set the PYTHON env variable' },
     headers: 
      { 'postman-token': 'b0b78842-94cd-a0b9-39cc-0e099136900c',
        'cache-control': 'no-cache',
        'Accept': 'application/json' } };

Node.js Request GET returning raw data instead of JSON

1 Answers1