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Visual Basic 6.0

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.

Chilkat Visual Basic 6.0 Downloads

Visual Basic 6.0
Dim success As Long
success = 0

' 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>'

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

Dim curl As New ChilkatHttpCurl

' 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.
Dim sbRawRequest As New ChilkatStringBuilder
success = curl.ToRawRequest(sbCurl.GetAsString(),sbRawRequest)
If (success = 0) Then
    Debug.Print curl.LastErrorText
    Exit Sub
End If

Debug.Print 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>