Send POST parameters with MultipartFormData using

Question

I am using Alamofire, very first time. I am using the latest version Alamofire 1.3.1. I want to send one image , one video and some POST parameters in one API call. I am using multipart form data. The mutipart module is working. I am facing a problem to send extra POST parametersparams . Below is my code. "params" is the dictionary which contains extra parameters? How can I append these POST parameters in the request. Please help

        var fullUrl :String = Constants.BASE_URL + "/api/CompleteChallenge"
         var params = [
        "authKey": Constants.AuthKey,
        "idUserChallenge": "16",
        "comment": "",
        "photo": imagePath,
        "video": videoPath,
        "latitude": "1",
        "longitude": "1",
        "location": "india"
    ]

    let imagePathUrl = NSURL(fileURLWithPath: imagePath!)
    let videoPathUrl = NSURL(fileURLWithPath: videoPath!)

        Alamofire.upload(
        .POST,
        URLString: fullUrl, // http://httpbin.org/post
        multipartFormData: { multipartFormData in
            multipartFormData.appendBodyPart(fileURL: imagePathUrl!, name: "photo")
            multipartFormData.appendBodyPart(fileURL: videoPathUrl!, name: "video")
        },
        encodingCompletion: { encodingResult in
            switch encodingResult {
            case .Success(let upload, _, _):
                upload.responseJSON { request, response, JSON, error in

                  }
                }
            case .Failure(let encodingError):

            }
        }
    )

Answer 1

Well, since Multipart Form Data is intended to be used for binary ( and to for text) data transmission, I believe it's bad practice to send data in encoded to String over it.

Another disadvantage is impossibility to send more complex parameters like JSON.

That said, a better option would be to send all data in binary form, that is as Data.

Say I need to send this data

let name = "Arthur"
let userIDs = [1,2,3]
let usedAge = 20

...alongside with user's picture:

let image = UIImage(named: "img")!

For that I would convert that text data to JSON and then to binary alongside with image:

//Convert image to binary
let data = UIImagePNGRepresentation(image)!

//Convert text data to binary
let dict: Dictionary<String, Any> = ["name": name, "userIDs": userIDs, "usedAge": usedAge]
userData = try? JSONSerialization.data(withJSONObject: dict)

And then, finally send it via Multipart Form Data request:

Alamofire.upload(multipartFormData: { (multiFoormData) in
        multiFoormData.append(userData, withName: "user")
        multiFoormData.append(data, withName: "picture", mimeType: "image/png")
    }, to: url) { (encodingResult) in
        ...
    }

Answer 2

I found the solution :) finally.

We can append data in the request as multipartformdata.

Below is my code.

  Alamofire.upload(
        .POST,
        URLString: fullUrl, // http://httpbin.org/post
        multipartFormData: { multipartFormData in
            multipartFormData.appendBodyPart(fileURL: imagePathUrl!, name: "photo")
            multipartFormData.appendBodyPart(fileURL: videoPathUrl!, name: "video")
            multipartFormData.appendBodyPart(data: Constants.AuthKey.dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding, allowLossyConversion: false)!, name :"authKey")
            multipartFormData.appendBodyPart(data: "\(16)".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding, allowLossyConversion: false)!, name :"idUserChallenge")
            multipartFormData.appendBodyPart(data: "comment".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding, allowLossyConversion: false)!, name :"comment")
            multipartFormData.appendBodyPart(data:"\(0.00)".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding, allowLossyConversion: false)!, name :"latitude")
            multipartFormData.appendBodyPart(data:"\(0.00)".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding, allowLossyConversion: false)!, name :"longitude")
            multipartFormData.appendBodyPart(data:"India".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding, allowLossyConversion: false)!, name :"location")
        },
        encodingCompletion: { encodingResult in
            switch encodingResult {
            case .Success(let upload, _, _):
                upload.responseJSON { request, response, JSON, error in


                }
            case .Failure(let encodingError):

            }
        }
    )

EDIT 1: For those who are trying to send an array instead of float, int or string, They can convert their array or any kind of data-structure in Json String, pass this JSON string as a normal string. And parse this json string at backend to get original array