(PowerShell) curl with Variable Substitution in an XML Request Body

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This example shows how to use variables inside an XML request body using the {{variable_name}} syntax. When the HTTP request’s Content-Type indicates XML, Chilkat automatically applies proper XML entity encoding to each substituted value, ensuring the resulting XML remains valid.

Note: This example requires Chilkat v11.5.0 or greater.

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Add-Type -Path "C:\chilkat\ChilkatDotNet47-x64\ChilkatDotNet47.dll"

$success = $false

# Variable names are enclosed between {{ and }}

# curl -X POST https://api.example.com/api/orders \
#   -H "Content-Type: application/xml; charset=utf-8" \
#   -H "Accept: application/xml" \
#   -d '<order>
#   <customerName>{{customer_name}}</customerName>
#   <note>{{note}}</note>
#   <address>{{address}}</address>
#   <instructions>{{instructions}}</instructions>
# </order>'

$sbCurl = New-Object Chilkat.StringBuilder
$sbCurl.AppendLn("curl -X POST https://api.example.com/api/orders \`")
$sbCurl.AppendLn("  -H `"Content-Type: application/xml; charset=utf-8`" \`")
$sbCurl.AppendLn("  -H `"Accept: application/xml`" \`")
$sbCurl.AppendLn("  -d '<order>")
$sbCurl.AppendLn("  <customerName>{{customer_name}}</customerName>")
$sbCurl.AppendLn("  <note>{{note}}</note>")
$sbCurl.AppendLn("  <address>{{address}}</address>")
$sbCurl.AppendLn("  <instructions>{{instructions}}</instructions>")
$sbCurl.AppendLn("</order>'")

$curl = New-Object Chilkat.HttpCurl

# The values below contain chars that will require XML entity encoding.  
# Chilkat will automatically do the encoding because the Content-Type of this request is "application/xml"
$curl.SetVar("customer_name","John & Sons")
$curl.SetVar("note","He said `"Ship it ASAP!`"")
$curl.SetVar("address","123 <Main> Street")
$curl.SetVar("instructions","Use door #2 & call upon arrival")

# To demonstrate how the variables are replaced, this example does not execute the curl command. 
# Instead, it generates the raw HTTP request that would be sent if the curl command were run.
$sbRawRequest = New-Object Chilkat.StringBuilder
$success = $curl.ToRawRequest($sbCurl.GetAsString(),$sbRawRequest)
if ($success -eq $false) {
    $($curl.LastErrorText)
    exit
}

$($sbRawRequest.GetAsString())

# The output is shown below.
# Notice the chars that were XML entity encoded.

# POST /api/orders HTTP/1.1
# Accept: application/xml
# Host: api.example.com
# Content-Type: application/xml; charset=utf-8
# Content-Length: 229
# 
# <order>
#   <customerName>John &amp; Sons</customerName>
#   <note>He said &quot;Ship it ASAP!&quot;</note>
#   <address>123 &lt;Main&gt; Street</address>
#   <instructions>Use door #2 &amp; call upon arrival</instructions>
# </order>