request.format returning */*
curl, http, mime-types, ruby-on-rails, xml
Solution
`*/*` means that the user-agent accepts all formats and doesn't care what format you give it. I believe Safari does this, among others. By default, `curl` sends an Accept header of `*/*`.
Here is a dump of the headers `curl` sends by default:
User-Agent: curl/7.18.1 (i386-apple-darwin9.6.0) libcurl/7.18.1 zlib/1.2.3
Host: example.com
Accept: */*
Content-Type:
However, in this case, it looks like you want to send back XML if the payload sent to you was XML? If that's the case, you want to check the request's Content-Type header directly. i.e., `request.content_type` is the method you want.
Addenda: I thought a bit more about this, and I think the best approach is to first check `request.format` and only if that is inconclusive check `request.content_type`. Essentially, the HTTP spec provides for clients being able to tell servers that "I'm giving you XML, but I want JSON back." The Accept header is how clients tell you what they want back, and if someone actually sends it, you should honor that. Only use the request's Content-Type as a hint if the client didn't specify.
Problem
I'm currently developing an API for my application on RoR As an example, I created some XML, loaded with all the info I need to create the object, let's say a Person, and using Curl I submitted it to my application I'm able to call exactly the create action I want from the controller and the hash params of the object are being passed correctly But now I need to apply a different behaviour if request was made or not with XML, what is bothering me is why in the controller `request.format` gives `*/*`. Any clues? ``` curl -v -H "Content-Type: application/xml; charset=utf-8" --data-ascii @client.xml http://foo.com:3000/clients?api_key=xxx def create logger.debug request.format # produces "*/*" if request.format.xml? # never gets here end end ```