POSTing JSON data with cURL in PHP 5

Question

I am attempting to POST some JSON data using cURL, but I'm having an issue setting the headers.

My current code looks like so:

$ch = curl_init('https://secure.example.com');

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST, 'POST');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $data_string);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
    'Content-Type: application/json',
    'Content-Length: ' . strlen($data_string)
]);

if (!$result = curl_exec($ch))
{
    echo 'Failed: ' . curl_error($ch);
    curl_close($ch);
    die;
}

curl_close($ch);

This code works fine when testing using localhost (PHP 7). However, our web server only runs PHP 5, and as such, the CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER option is not supported.

When I keep it in my code, I get a "500 Internal Error". When I take it out, my curl_exec() does not run, and I received the error message "Failed: " but with no curl_error() being displayed.

Is there any way to set cURL to expect JSON data without this option?

if you get a 500, you go look at the server's error log for details. — Marc B
– Marc B, Commented Nov 1, 2016 at 16:59
Actually, the statement CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER option is not supported in PHP 5 is false. — apokryfos
– apokryfos, Commented Nov 1, 2016 at 17:00
I was looking here. php.net/manual/en/function.curl-setopt.php - "Available since PHP 7.0.7" — mpdc
– mpdc, Commented Nov 1, 2016 at 17:03

Jay Rajput · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-01 17:04:16Z

1

Replace this

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
'Content-Type: application/json',
'Content-Length: ' . strlen($data_string)
]);

With

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array(
'Content-Type: application/json',
'Content-Length: ' . strlen($data_string)
));

PHP 5.4+ support the new array syntax of [], but PHP < 5.4 needs array()

Short array syntax support was added in PHP 5.4 http://php.net/manual/en/migration54.new-features.php

answered Nov 1, 2016 at 17:04

Jay Rajput

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Comments

hlscalon · Accepted Answer · 2016-11-01 17:05:02Z

1

The problem you are getting is not about CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER. It's been in PHP for ages.

But the new array syntax [] that was added in PHP 5.4.

Change your code to:

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array(
    'Content-Type: application/json',
    'Content-Length: ' . strlen($data_string)
));

and it will work fine.

answered Nov 1, 2016 at 17:05

hlscalon

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