Sending data from Java to PHP via POST

Question

On one side I have a Java program that keeps feeding a database. On the other a web server (Apache). I need to transfer multiple entries, at once, from the program to a distant web server via a REST webservice. While I have no trouble to send pairs of values from one to the others (using a HttpClient on the Java's side and a PHP file that writes into the server's own database on the other side), I lack knowledge about how I could build my HTTP request with data.

I've been using an Entity so far :

List<NameValuePair> list = new ArrayList<NameValuePair>();
list.add(new BasicNameValuePair("field1", "aaa"));
list.add(new BasicNameValuePair("field2", "bbb"));

httppost.setEntity(new UrlEncodedFormEntity(list));

and receiving it in my PHP file :

<?php
    $field1=$_POST["field1"];
    $field2=$_POST["field2"];
    $con= mysql_connect("localhost","root");
    if(!$con) die("Not able to connect");
    mysql_select_db("mydb",$con);
    mysql_query("INSERT INTO `mytable` (`field1`, `field2`) VALUES ('$field1', '$field2')");
    mysql_close($con);
?>

Works great. Simple and easy. But now, as stated before, I wish to transfer several entries from my database. Each entry consists of 35 fields, which yields to some big data.

My question is : How can I insert my database entries within ONE (or as many as needed if one HTTP request capacity is full) and fetch the resulting data on the PHP file side ? Bonus : with the previous solution, how can I compress that data?

Ranty · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-12 15:54:05Z

1

You can use JSON for quick and simple transfer. For decoding, PHP supports $array = json_decode($json_string, TRUE);.

Not sure about compressing. Are you going to transfer lots of data this way to make it relevant?

answered Dec 12, 2012 at 15:54

Ranty

3,3833 gold badges26 silver badges25 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

1 Comment

PeterGriffin Over a year ago

Let's say the transfer medium is really expensive :>

ddinchev · Accepted Answer · 2012-12-12 16:14:18Z

1

Well, the thing you are doing will lead to SQL injection easily. Make sure you escape your data before running the insert query with mysql_real_escape_string or better - prepared statements.

Instead of using JSON, you could use Google Protocol Buffers. You need both JAVA and PHP extension to use protocol buffers but this is binary protocol that compresses the data amazingly well and allows you the flexibility to define different "repeatable" objects (entries) with same properties, so that when you open the protocol buffer on the PHP side, it will be easy to utilize the data.

answered Dec 12, 2012 at 16:14

ddinchev

34.8k28 gold badges95 silver badges138 bronze badges

4 Comments

PeterGriffin Over a year ago

Thanks for the warning. I'll defitively look at trying those Protocol Buffers if they are so size efficient.

ddinchev Over a year ago

You need a JAVA and PHP lib for using protocol buffers. The one "drslump" has created worked for me.

PeterGriffin Over a year ago

Protobufs have a native JAVA implementation and someone released a PHP version (have to try it out first though). JSON will probably do the trick otherwise.

ddinchev Over a year ago

"Everything" could do, JSON should do better then many other solutions but you asked for lightweight protocol :)

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Sending data from Java to PHP via POST

2 Answers 2

1 Comment

4 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

1 Comment

4 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related