Develop Reference

Streaming Content constantly updating 8x8 streaming service

I have tried to create a simple console application.
We have a call system from 8x8 that provide a web streaming API but their documentation is very limited and nothing in C#.
The api service streams call statuses in near real time and I would like to get that 'stream' and be able to read and process it in realtime if possible. The response or Content Type is 'text/html'. But the actual body of the response can be declared as json - sample below:
{"Interaction":{"attachedData":{"attachedDatum":[{"attachedDataKey":"#pri","attachedDataValue":100},{"attachedDataKey":"callingName","attachedDataValue":999999999999},{"attachedDataKey":"cha","attachedDataValue":99999999999},{"attachedDataKey":"cnt","attachedDataValue":0},{"attachedDataKey":"con","attachedDataValue":0},{"attachedDataKey":"med","attachedDataValue":"T"},{"attachedDataKey":"pho","attachedDataValue":9999999999},{"attachedDataKey":"phoneNum","attachedDataValue":9999999999},{"attachedDataKey":"tok","attachedDataValue":999999999}]},"event":"InteractionCreated","inboundChannelid":9999999999,"interactionEventTS":9999999,"interactionGUID":"int-15b875d0da2-DJOJkDhDsrh3AIaFP8VkICv9t-phone-01-testist","resourceType":0}}
I have seen several posts concerning httpClient and the GetAsync methods but none of these appear to work as they appear to be for calls when a response is made, not something that constantly has a response.
Using fiddler for the call it does not appear to close so the stream is constantly running, so fiddler does not display any data until a separate user or instance connects.
When I use a browser the content is 'streamed' to the page and updates automatically and shows all the content (as above).
The api contains authentication so when another client connects and retrieves data the connected client closes and finally I am able to see the data that was gathering.
This is the code so and does return the big stream when another client connects but ideally I want a real time response and appears to just get stuck in the GETASYNC method:
var response = await client.GetAsync(address, HttpCompletionOption.ResponseHeadersRead);
if (response.IsSuccessStatusCode)
{
var responseContent = response.Content;
string responseString = await responseContent.ReadAsStringAsync();
Console.WriteLine(responseString);
}
Hopefully that's enough information for one of you clever people to help me in my predicament.

I was also having an issue consuming their streaming API and the examples I found that worked with the Twitter and CouchBase streaming API's did not work with 8x8. Both Twitter and CouchBase send line terminators in their pushes so the solution relied on ReadLine to pull in the feed. Since 8x8 does not send terminators you'll need to use ReadBlock or better ReadBlockAsync.
The following code shows how to connect using credentials and consume their feed:
private static async Task StreamAsync(string url, string username, string password)
{
var handler = new HttpClientHandler()
{
Credentials = new NetworkCredential {UserName = username, Password = password},
PreAuthenticate = true
};
// Client can also be singleton
using (var client = new HttpClient(handler))
{
client.Timeout = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(Timeout.Infinite);
var request = new HttpRequestMessage(HttpMethod.Get, url);
request.Headers.Connection.Add("keep-alive");
using (var response = await client.SendAsync(
request,
HttpCompletionOption.ResponseHeadersRead))
{
using (var body = await response.Content.ReadAsStreamAsync())
{
using (var reader = new StreamReader(body))
{
while (!reader.EndOfStream)
{
var buffer = new char[1024];
await reader.ReadBlockAsync(buffer, 0, buffer.Length);
Console.WriteLine(new string(buffer));
}
}
}
}
}
}

Setting up a REST Client Application (Post) from a Web API

I've been having a few issues in trying to retrieve the results of a POST operation from a Web Service.
I have been using a chrome extension to test the API Services and they are working there. However I've been having problems on implementing it in code.
This is an example of usage of the chrome extension:
What I'm trying to retrieve on code, is the last part, the json array that the POST operation generates, where it says accessToken.
However, in the code that I've been using below, I've only had access to the status (200 OK) etc.
Here's a preview of the code I am using:
{
HttpClient client = new HttpClient();
client.BaseAddress = new Uri(url.Text);
client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Accept.Add(new MediaTypeWithQualityHeaderValue(header.Text));
HttpRequestMessage request = new HttpRequestMessage(HttpMethod.Post, url.Text);
request.Content = new StringContent(body.Text, Encoding.UTF8, header.Text);
client.SendAsync(request)
.ContinueWith(responseTask =>
{
MessageBox.Show(responseTask.Result.Content.Headers.ToString());
}
);
}
The Header.Text is exactly "application/json", the body.Text is body which has those various properties such as username and password (in string format) and url.Text contains the complete URL to call the Web service.
I'd like to know what I'm doing wrong with my code, and what can I do to obtain that json array that contains the accessToken

In your code you need to use ReadAsStringAsync method to convert your HttpContent object to string/json. For example:
client.SendAsync(request)
.ContinueWith(responseTask =>
{
var jsonString = responseTask.Result.Content.ReadAsStringAsync().Result;
MessageBox.Show(jsonString);
});
then you can convert you jsonString as you need.

WebClient - UploadValues : Get Status Response

I'am trying to pass values from a controller to another controller in another domain. I'am adding data to a NameValueCollection and pass it to another controller [httppost] method and receiving data there mapped to a Model same as i passed from.
Currently i'am running it locally by opening two instance of VS simultaneously. When the both VS is opened the values are passed correctly and the information is written to db correctly and i receive a response like "{byte[0]}". Now when i try stopping the destination controller Project and try to submit data then it wont work but still i get the same response as "{byte[0]}". Can somebody please help me how to return the response command in this scenario. Is there a way a understand the UploadValues are completed or not completed.
.........
.........
NameValueCollection resumeDetails = new NameValueCollection();
resumeDetails.Add("FirstName", "KRIZTE");
byte[] res = this.Post(ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["RedirectionUrl"].ToString(), resumeDetails);
return View("Index");
}
public byte[] Post(string uri, NameValueCollection resumeDetails)
{
byte[] response = null;
WebClient client = new WebClient();
response = client.UploadValues(uri, resumeDetails);
return response;
}

You should not use the WebClient because of problems like this.
Microsoft implemented HttpClient class as a newer API and it has these benefits:
HttpClient is the newer of the APIs and it has the benefits of
has a good async programming model
1- being worked on by Henrik F Nielson who is basically one of the inventors of HTTP, and he designed the API so it is easy for you to follow the HTTP standard, e.g. generating standards-compliant headers
2- is in the .Net framework 4.5, so it has some guaranteed level of support for the forseeable future
3- also has the xcopyable/portable-framework version of the library if you want to use it on other platforms - .Net 4.0, Windows Phone etc.
so I'm gonna show you an example of using HttpClient:
var uri = "http://google.com";
var client = new HttpClient();
try
{
var values = new List<KeyValuePair<string, string>>();
// add values to data for post
values.Add(new KeyValuePair<string, string>("FirstName", "KRITZTE"));
FormUrlEncodedContent content = new FormUrlEncodedContent(values);
// Post data
var result = await client.PostAsync(uri, content);
// Access content as stream which you can read into some string
Console.WriteLine(result.Content);
// Access the result status code
Console.WriteLine(result.StatusCode);
}
catch(AggregateException ex)
{
// get all possible exceptions which are thrown
foreach (var item in ex.Flatten().InnerExceptions)
{
Console.WriteLine(item.Message);
}
}

Using A Web API for Business Logic?

My web application needs to be able to go and get all my projects from Paymo http://api.paymo.biz/
I am familiar with JSON and XML, but what I'm wondering is, how does one interact with the api (make calls to it).
I would ideally like to make a class in ASP .Net such as PaymoManager(int apikey....)
From there I can wrap the functionality I need. I just need to understand, how do I call functions of the API and how do I get the response. I am not familar with web apis.
Edit: Could you give me an example of this, even with some abstract url. I need this done server side in a CS file.
Basically a simple example that calls someurl.com/somerequest and then how do you receive the JSON or XML... how does this work in terms of a class. I want this in a class.

http://api.paymo.biz/docs/misc.overview.html
To perform an action using the Paymo API, you need to send a request
to the Paymo webservice specifying a method and some arguments, and
will receive a formatted response.
This means that you can use WebClient to download a string from a url:
WebClient client = new WebClient();
string reply = client.DownloadString (address);
Depending on the format you specify, you can parse the reply as XML or JSON.
XDocument xml = XDocument.Parse(reply);
// where ReplyType is a class that defines public
// properties matching the format of the json string
JavaScriptSerializer serializer = new JavaScriptSerializer();
ReplyType abc = serializer.Deserialize<ReplyType>(reply);

If you are using .NET 4.5, you might consider using HttpClient like so:
static async void Main()
{
try
{
// Create a New HttpClient object.
HttpClient client = new HttpClient();
// fill in the details in the following string with your own KEY & TOKEN:
string requestUrl = "https://api.paymo.biz/service/paymo.auth.logout?api_key=API_KEY&format=JSON&auth_token=AUTH_TOKEN"
HttpResponseMessage response = await client.GetAsync(requestUrl );
response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();
string responseBodyJSON = await response.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
// Above three lines can be replaced with new helper method in following line
// string body = await client.GetStringAsync(uri);
Console.WriteLine(responseBodyJSON );
// Now you can start parsing your JSON....
}
catch(HttpRequestException e)
{
Console.WriteLine("\nException Caught!");
Console.WriteLine("Message :{0} ",e.Message);
}
}

How to proxy a REST API with .NET 4

I'm trying to write a simple, pass-through proxy in .NET.
I have a REST api hosted at some external domain (http://exampleapi.com),
And I want to pass through all requests sent to my application (get, post, etc). JSONP isn't an option.
So if I ask for GET localhost:1234/api/pages => GET http://exampleapi.com/pages
Likewise if I POST localhost:1234/api/pages => POST http://exampleapi.com/pages
The big problem I have, and what I can't seem to find elsewhere - is that I don't want to parse this JSON. Everything I've searched through seems to center around HttpClient, but I can't seem to figure out how to use it correctly.
Here's what I have so far:
public ContentResult Proxy()
{
// Grab the path from /api/*
var path = Request.RawUrl.ToString().Substring(4);
var target = new UriBuilder("http", "exampleapi.com", 25001);
var method = Request.HttpMethod;
var client = new HttpClient();
client.BaseAddress = target.Uri;
// Needs to get filled with response.
string content;
HttpResponseMessage response;
switch (method)
{
case "POST":
case "PUT":
StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(Request.InputStream);
var jsonInput = reader.ReadToEnd();
// Totally lost here.
client.PostAsync(path, jsonInput);
break;
case "DELETE":
client.DeleteAsync(path);
break;
case "GET":
default:
// need to capture client data
client.GetAsync(path);
break;
}
return Content(content, "application/json");
}

You'll need to create a HTTP Server, receive the request, then your code will pull the information out of that request, and generate a new request to the new server, receive the response, and then send the response back to the original client.
Client -> C# Server -> Rest API server
Here's a sample HTTP Server that is open source. https://github.com/kayakhttp/kayak