Sending binary message body in Connect REST
I am connecting to a REST service that accepts a binary file as the message body, and I'm trying to setup my Connect REST invocation. I'm aware of using pyRequestAttachmentPage of class Data-ServiceMessage to send binary attachments, but this sends a multipart form message in the POST which is not what I want. Looking at Rule-Connect-REST.pyInvokeRESTConnector, it appears to read the referenced message body clipboard property as a String and then convert it to bytes.
byte[] mData = null;
// ...
if (paramMapFrom.length() != 0 || attachPage != null)
{
//get the only member of the reqMessageData map and put it as a stream
if (paramMapFrom.length() != 0)
{
messageData = (String) reqMessageData.get(paramName);
mData = messageData.getBytes();
svcUtil.incrementConnectRequestDataVolume(mData.length);
}
//generate request content from the stream
com.pega.apache.http.HttpEntity entity = null;
//attachment code
if (attachPage != null)
{
// ...
}
else
{
entity = new com.pega.apache.http.entity.ByteArrayEntity(mData);
}
}
I've tried multiple ways to store the binary data on the clipboard, but I end up with a corrupted file after the service is invoked. Any suggestions?
I am connecting to a REST service that accepts a binary file as the message body, and I'm trying to setup my Connect REST invocation. I'm aware of using pyRequestAttachmentPage of class Data-ServiceMessage to send binary attachments, but this sends a multipart form message in the POST which is not what I want. Looking at Rule-Connect-REST.pyInvokeRESTConnector, it appears to read the referenced message body clipboard property as a String and then convert it to bytes.
byte[] mData = null;
// ...
if (paramMapFrom.length() != 0 || attachPage != null)
{
//get the only member of the reqMessageData map and put it as a stream
if (paramMapFrom.length() != 0)
{
messageData = (String) reqMessageData.get(paramName);
mData = messageData.getBytes();
svcUtil.incrementConnectRequestDataVolume(mData.length);
}
//generate request content from the stream
com.pega.apache.http.HttpEntity entity = null;
//attachment code
if (attachPage != null)
{
// ...
}
else
{
entity = new com.pega.apache.http.entity.ByteArrayEntity(mData);
}
}
I've tried multiple ways to store the binary data on the clipboard, but I end up with a corrupted file after the service is invoked. Any suggestions?
ClipboardProperty contentProp = myStepPage.getProperty(".request.Content");
String base64Content = tools.getParameterPage().getString("FileContent");
contentProp.setValue(new String(Base64Util.decodeToByteArray(base64Content)));
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Perficient
US
I did a private checkout of Rule-Connect-REST.pyInvokeRESTConnector, and I can get things to work if I store the Base64-encoded string on the clipboard and make this small change in step 5:
//mData = messageData.getBytes();
mData = Base64Util.decodeToByteArray(messageData);
I'm using Pega 7.1.5, although I just checked 7.1.9 and this activity does not appear to have changed much. Perhaps a future enhancement to allow the developer to indicate that the message body is binary and text-based content?
Pegasystems Inc.
US
Good dig, Chad! Personally, I would like to enhance the connect-rest rule form to add a binary part under message data section.
Pegasystems Inc.
CA
Have you tried using Map from key as a property of type Java Object and class java.lang.Object and holding the binary data as a byte array?
Vodafone DE
DE
We are currently facing the same situation and Mapping a Java Object with the binary data as a Byte array throws an exception in Rule-Connect-REST.Invoke "Object value is not an instance of String".
Here´s how the configuration of the rules look like.
Java Object Property
Config on the REST Connector Rule
Activity with custom Java code to transform the Base64 encoded file from pyFileSource to byte Array (this ir run before calling the rest connector)
We are currently facing the same situation and Mapping a Java Object with the binary data as a Byte array throws an exception in Rule-Connect-REST.Invoke "Object value is not an instance of String".
Here´s how the configuration of the rules look like.
Java Object Property
Config on the REST Connector Rule
Activity with custom Java code to transform the Base64 encoded file from pyFileSource to byte Array (this ir run before calling the rest connector)
The only way to make it work is to send the Base64 encoded pyFileSource string as the Message body, and made the change mentioned above on Rule-Connect-REST.pyInvokeRESTConnector. We are currently working with PEGA 7.1.8
Pegasystems Inc.
US
FYI: In Pega 7.3 and above there is an out-of-the-box solution for this.
When you map from clipboard, there is a "map as" setting that you can set to "Binary." Then you can map from a Java Object property that contains your byte array.
ASB
NZ
I have the same issue with 7.19 and it also works if i do the private checkout of pyInvokeRESTConnector, make the suggested changes and pass in the base64.
Does anybody have a more permanent solution for this? I also have an SR open on this topic (SR-A99482).
Matt
Pegasystems Inc.
US
Hi All,
Please have a look at the Pega Storage API data page, D_pxCreateFile, for an example of how to work with a multipart/form-data request body. In particular, see the request data transform, Pega-Int-Storage-Box.pzCreateFileRequest. This DT uses a supported way to upload binary data. Note, the binary data must be in the form of a Base64 encoded String value.
As Chad points out above (good eye), as of 7.2.1, we do not directly support binary request bodies. However, we have made changes in 7.2.2 to add this support.
hth,
Charlie
ASB
NZ
Hi Charlie
What version am I looking in for the example? I have download 7.2.1 and I can see that it has D_pxCreateFile and the other mentioned rules but do I need 7.2.2?
Matt
ASB
NZ
I tried this solution on 7.19 and it doesn't work for me. It looks like there are a few changes that have been made in later versions to pyInvokeRESTConnector. I'm continuing my search for a solution.
Vodafone DE
DE
Hi,
For our specific scenario, the Service were we are connecting, would not take multipart/form-data as a valid request. It is waiting for the Request Body to be the binary data, and it will simply not accept the request if it's send attached or as multipart/form-data.
This is mainly a problem with the service and not with pega, but client service has been programmed that way and there are many applications using it so it cannot be change.
It is good to hear that for v 7.2.2 the binary body will be added, but our only solution at the moment is to make the local change on pyInvokeRestConnector.