How do you post XML via HTTP?

[ccrookston]

I have what seems like should be a simple questtion, but I can't seem to find the answer.

I have an XML file which I want to post to a remote server. How do I do this? Let's say the URL to which I want to post is:

https://xml.foobar.com/sendrequest

and let's say my xml file is called xmltest.xml

How do I subit the content of xmltest.xml to this remote URL via HTTP? Thanks,

Casey

[Stephen Philbin]

You mean the contents of a form? Or all the markup of a page? Can you be a lot more specific please?

[ccrookston]

Hi Stephen (or anyone),

I don't mean the contents of a form. I have a file called ups.xml which contains a complete xml data set. I know that XML file is well formatted and contains all the correct data. I can also load the entire contents of this file into a string. Now I need to send this string to a remote URL. I can't use web services - needs to be an HTTP Post.

Any help would really be great - I have been looking everywhere and can't find anything.

Thanks!!!

[chazzy]

are you talking about using a web service?

[ccrookston]

Hi Chazzy,

No. I can't use a web service. This needs to be just a plain old HTTP Post of a string that contains XML.

Any pointers?

[NogDog]

What server-side programming language/framework are you using? (For instance, if using PHP, you could probably use the cURL extension to post it.)

[ccrookston]

I should have mentioned I'm using .NET.

[NogDog]

I should have mentioned I'm using .NET.
OK, I'll move this to that forum, since that's really where the answer will lie.

[sirpelidor]

the System.Net.WebClient (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/cpref/html/frlrfsystemnetwebclientclasstopic.asp) class provides methods, allowing you to programmincally upload/download data from a valid URL.

assuming the string of your XML content is stored in a stringBuilder object.


using System.IO;
using System.Net;

//pass the xml content and the address destination as param
//return true when success, false if fail
public bool sendHTTPpost(stringbuilder senderString, string URL){
byte[] postData = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(senderString.toString().Trim());
WebClient wClient = new WebClient();

try{
//create stream using http POST
Stream postStream = wClient.OpenWrite(URL,"POST");
//write data
postStream.Write(postData,0,postData.Length);
//release resources
postStream.Close();
return true;
}
catch(){
return false;
}
}//end sendHTTPpost


sometimes you may need to authenticate yourself in
order gain access to the web server. You'll need to make use of
WebRequest class and WebResponse Class. (http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/Internet/WebRequestNResponseMDB.asp) .