REST API - Use the "Accept: application/json" HTTP Header

Question

When I make a request, I get a response in XML, but what I need is JSON. In the doc it is stated in order to get a JSON in return: Use the Accept: application/json HTTP Header.

Where do I find the HTTP Header to put Accept: application/json inside?

My guess is it is not suppose to be inside the URL-request, which looks like:

http://localhost:8080/otp/routers/default/plan?fromPlace=52.5895,13.2836&toPlace=52.5461,13.3588&date=2017/04/04&time=12:00:00 

Answer 1

You guessed right, HTTP Headers are not part of the URL.

And when you type a URL in the browser the request will be issued with standard headers. Anyway REST Apis are not meant to be consumed by typing the endpoint in the address bar of a browser.

The most common scenario is that your server consumes a third party REST Api.

To do so your server-side code forges a proper GET (/PUT/POST/DELETE) request pointing to a given endpoint (URL) setting (when needed, like your case) some headers and finally (maybe) sending some data (as typically occurrs in a POST request for example).

The code to forge the request, send it and finally get the response back depends on your server side language.

If you want to test a REST Api you may use curl tool from the command line.

curl makes a request and outputs the response to stdout (unless otherwise instructed).

In your case the test request would be issued like this:

$curl -H "Accept: application/json" 'http://localhost:8080/otp/routers/default/plan?fromPlace=52.5895,13.2836&toPlace=52.5461,13.3588&date=2017/04/04&time=12:00:00' 

The H or --header directive sets a header and its value.