Python requests: How to PUT a string in body?

Question

I need to PUT data from a string (no dict) as the body of the call to a REST API. When I call ``` r = requests.put(url, data = string) ``` then I can see in `r.request.body` after this call that it is `None`. Also, the server responds with a "411 Length Required" error. However, when I try it with a dict instead of a string then it works, as the server responds with the correct JSON data. Moreover, in that case I can see in `r.request.body` the correct data. Any ideas? PS: I am using Python 2.7.3 and Python-requests 1.2.0

Accepted Answer

Even after three attempts to clarify the question, it still isn't clear what you're asking here, but I can try to throw out enough info that you can figure out the answer.

First, `r = requests.put(url, data = string)` returns a `Response`, which doesn't have a `body`, but it does have a `request`, and a `history` of 0 or more redirect requests, all of which are `PreparedRequest` objects, which do have `body` attributes.

On the other hand, if you did `r.requests.Request(method='PUT', url=url, data=string)`, that would return a `Request`, which has to be `prepare()`d before it has a body.

Either way, if I do a simple test and look at the results, I find that the `body` is always correct:

```
>>> resp = requests.put('http://localhost/nosuchurl', data='abc')
>>> resp.request.body
'abc'
>>> resp = requests.put('http://localhost/redirect_to_https', data='abc')
>>> resp.history[-1].request.body
'abc'
>>> req = requests.Request(method='PUT', url='http://localhost/nosuchurl', data='abc')
>>> preq = req.prepare()
>>> preq.body
'abc'
```

My best guess is that you need to be looking at `resp.history[0].request.body`, but you're looking at `resp.request.body`, or something similar.

If Redirection and History in the quickstart tutorial doesn't help, read the detailed API docs, or just experiment with all of them until you figure it out.

Or do this:

```
resp = request.put('http://localhost/nosuchurl', data='abc', allow_redirects=False)
```

And then do the redirect-handling manually.

Python requests: How to PUT a string in body?

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