Parsing requests with no payload

[matthieusieben]

When an HTTP request that has "Content-type: plain/text" and no payload is received by hapi, request.payload is an empty object {}. It should be an empty string.

When an HTTP request w/o content-type an no payload is parsed by hapi, request.payload is an empty object {}. It would make more sense if it was null.

[devinivy]

The first case certainly makes sense to me. The second case seems a little more open-ended, but intuitively it does seem like it should be falsey.

[matthieusieben]

Content-type: plain/text
Content-Length: 1

(space in body) results in request.payload = " "

Content-type: plain/text
Content-Length: 0

(empty body) results in request.payload = {}

How does this makes sence ? Detecting an empty string requires to do:

if (typeof request.payload === 'object' && Object.keys(request.payload) === 0 && (request.headers['content-type'] || '').split(';')[0] === 'text/plain')

Instead of

if (request.payload === '')

or

if (!request.payload)

In the case of a route that only expects plain/text payload, the first example does not make much sence.

Plain text requests with empty bodies should also have a falsey payload in my opinion.

[devinivy]

I'm sorry for the poor communication– I meant that your gripe makes sense. I agree that a plain/text request without a body should yield an empty string in hapi's request payload.

In the case of an empty content-type header and an empty body, I am less sure. Here's what the spec says:

Any HTTP/1.1 message containing an entity-body SHOULD include a Content-Type header field defining the media type of that body. If and only if the media type is not given by a Content-Type field, the recipient MAY attempt to guess the media type via inspection of its content and/or the name extension(s) of the URI used to identify the resource. If the media type remains unknown, the recipient SHOULD treat it as type "application/octet-stream".

[matthieusieben]

All right. Damn those "SHOULD" in specs...

[arb]

I believe if you set the status code to 204, you'll get the desired behavior. Never mind, misunderstood the question.

[matthieusieben]

@arb, I'm not sure I understand. How would you set a status code in an HTTP request ?

[hueniverse]

Covered by subtext 2.0.0