Node JS How to POST image along with request data to another server/api

Question

I am trying to POST an image from my Node JS app to another REST API. I have the image in Mongo DB (as binary array data) that is read by Node JS and then is supposed to be POSTed to another API.

The problem I face is how do I send request data along with the image? I have this raw data (that is in JSON format) that should be POSTed along with image:

{"data":{"client":"abc","address": "123"},"meta":{"owner": "yourself","host": "hostishere"}}

I am required to do this using the 'request' module. I can use 'multer' if that helps better. But, I am stuck on how do I send the above request data along with the image stream. Below is my current code. Could you please help me finish it?

        var options = {
            host: 'hostname.com',
            port: 80,
            path: '/api/content',
            method: 'POST',
            headers:{
                'Content-Type' : 'multipart/form-data'
            }
        };

        var request =  http.request(options, function(response) {
            var str = '';
            var respTime ='';

            response.on('data', function (chunk) {
                str = str.concat(chunk);
            });
            response.on('end', () => {
                console.log('No more data in response.');
            });

            setTimeout(function() {
                res.send(JSON.stringify(
                  {
                      'imageURL': IMG_URL,
                      'imageId': IMG_ID,
                      'body': JSON.parse(str)
                  }
                ));
            }, 1000);
        });

        request.on('error', (e) => {
          console.error('**** problem with request: ', e);
        });

        request.write(image.IMG_STR); //image.IMG_STR is the binary array representation of the image.
        request.end();

---

UPDATE: 06/06/2017

So, I happened to talk to the REST team that provides the end point and found out that the data should be sent in the following specific format. Below is a snapshot of the request that succeeded. Could someone help me with the Node code that I should use? I have tried form-data package but have been getting the same error:

Answer 1

if you have control over "the other API" too, you could include the image as base64 representation of the binary data in the post-body (and decode it on the API side)

answer to the update 06/06/2017:

according to the screenshot the API requires multipart/formdata. such requests with the "request"-module are documented in https://github.com/request/request#multipartform-data-multipart-form-uploads

quick example (not tested):

var formData = {
  Data: {data: {client: "abc" ...},
  file: fs.createReadStream('testImage_2.jpg'),
};
request.post({url:'<YourUrl>', formData: formData}, function optionalCallback(err, httpResponse, body) {
  if (err) {
    return console.error('upload failed:', err);
  }
  console.log('Upload successful!  Server responded with:', body);
});

Answer 2

If you add the body to your request with the JSON data, you should be able to send it:

 var options = {
        host: 'hostname.com',
        port: 80,
        path: '/api/content',
        method: 'POST',
        headers:{
            'Content-Type' : 'multipart/form-data'
        },
        body: {
            "data": {"client":"abc","address": "123"},
            "meta":{"owner": "yourself","host": "hostishere"}
        }
 };

What I don't understand is why you have a setTimeout with res.send when there is no res variable defined anywhere.