PHP curl: How to pass a parameter that has array syntax in the command line?

Question

Sorry for the vague title, I don't use curl often enough to know what the proper terms are. Basically I'm trying to convert a commandline curl call that involves a file upload into a PHP script using curl_init etc.

The commandline curl has parameters like -F query='...' -F variables[file]=@/mnt/d/temp/test.jpg. Calling the curl command via commandline works fine, so the backend is working. My issue is when I try it using PHP. My issue is I don't know how to properly convert that -F variables[file]=... syntax into the PHP curl side.

Given that, I try this:

$query = '...';
$cFile = curl_file_create("/mnt/d/temp/test.jpg");
$variables = array("file" => $cFile);
$post = array('query' => $query,'variables' => $variables);
curl_setopt($chObj, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $post);

Unfortunately, it returns HTTP 500.

I also try to replace the $cFile variable with $cFile = '@' . realpath("/mnt/d/temp/test.jpg");, same result.

(This is also my first time uploading a file using PHP curl, my reference for the above code was this SO question: how to upload file using curl with php)

Any advice would be appreciated. (I would just Google it myself, but IDK the proper terms to Google.)

https://www.php.net/manual/en/curlfile.construct.php#example-5462 — Lawrence Cherone, Apr 14 '20 at 15:29
also see example 4 @ https://incarnate.github.io/curl-to-php/ if you want to use the `@` way. — Lawrence Cherone, Apr 14 '20 at 15:32
...why not use Guzzle or something comparable such that you don't have to think about such details? — Nico Haase, Apr 14 '20 at 15:32

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 14 '20 at 15:39

Ok, obviously after posting on SO I figure it out after a bit more fiddling around, so posting my own answer.

It turns out I was overthinking it by assuming the -F variables[file]=... syntax was some kind of array, when really all I needed was to submit a post variable named variable[file]:

$cFile = curl_file_create("/mnt/d/temp/test.jpg");
$post = array('query' => $query,'variables[file]' => $cFile);

PHP curl: How to pass a parameter that has array syntax in the command line?

1 Answers1