[SOLVED] How to insert Dynamic UUID and Date into Curl command

Yow · 08-07-2014, 01:51 PM

Firstly, I apologize if this sounds like an easy question but I'm new to Curl. I used the command below on an ecommerce system to obtain a Publickey, and it works when I manually put a UUID value in the Stars shown in the code below.

curl -k -i -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "X-HTTP-Method-Override: PUT" -X POST -d '{"applicationId":"system1","tranDateTime":"***********","UUID":"**************"}' 'ht*ps://192.168.101.200:1245/HermesSim/getPublicKey'

What I need to do is to run the command but instead of a fixed UUID value, I'd like to save the above command in a script and use the "UUID" command or "GENUUID" command to generate the Unique UUID value dynamically each time the script is executed, also the tranDateTime field should be filled with the Date command to record the current date for that transaction. I tried a number of ways to insert the commands in the field but it always takes the command as a string and therefor I send a wrong UUID or Date.

Can I do that with curl? or is there an easier or better way to do it?

We've tried to do it in PHP before, but we've encountered problems and we figured if we do it using this script then in PHP we can run the script and take the output from it back to PHP.

unSpawn · 08-08-2014, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yow

I tried a number of ways to insert the commands in the field but it always takes the command as a string

Instead of talking about what you've done please post what you've actually tried.

jpollard · 08-08-2014, 05:52 AM

Your problem is caused by making the command line too complex with the quoting.

Do it in steps rather than all in one.

Code:

'{"applicationId":"system1","tranDateTime":"***********","UUID":"**************"}' 'ht*ps://192.168.101.200:1245/HermesSim/getPublicKey'

Is a real pain with the quoting.

Code:

UUID="whatever it is supposed to be"
pt1='{"applicationId":"system1","tranDateTime":"***********","'
pt2='":"**************"}'
res="${p1}${UUID}${p2}"
curl -k -i -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "X-HTTP-Method-Override: PUT" -X POST -d "${res}"

Should work. This is because quotes are only evaluated once during the assignment so the nested quoting doesn't cause a problem.

The problem is cause by using apostrophe quotes needed to avoid the awkward escaping that would be required for the embedded double quotes... The apostrophe disables substitution within the string.

Doing it in parts (as shown) helps simplify the quoting, and allows you to test things as it goes.

Yow · 08-09-2014, 02:42 AM

Thanks a lot jpollard!!
That helped a lot, very simple and clear! I don't know how I haven't thought of that.

As you said, this way it'll make it easier to test as I go instead of combining things at once. It:s better to break it down and go in pieces.

Thanks again.