Setting Content-Type header for RSpec and Rails-API

Question

I\'m using the rails-api gem to build a web service and want to test my API with RSpec. Every request I make, regardless of the HTTP method has the CONTENT_TYPE hea

Answer 1

This worked for me Rails 4.0.3 and Rspec 2.14.1 if anyone is looking for more recent versions.

put '/projects/1.json', {name: 'Updated Project 1'}, {
  'HTTP_ACCEPT' => 'application/json',
  'CONTENT_TYPE' => 'application/json'
}

and

wrap_parameters Project, format: :json

Answer 2

If you are using Rails 4 (and rspec ~3.7) and don't want to use the inline syntax:

request.headers["CONTENT_TYPE"] = "application/json"

Answer 3

Using the new Rails v5.0.x API only settings I found that this problem with rails defaulting everything to "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" is still in issue for testing with RSpec-Rails Requests

Here is what I did to fix the problem:

Create support file at ./spec/support/json_requests.rb

Edit it to be something like this to override the behavior for all of your API only JSON requests:

module JsonRequests
  def get(*args)
    super(*json_args(*args))
  end

  def post(*args)
    super(*json_args(*args))
  end

  def update(*args)
    super(*json_args(*args))
  end

  def patch(*args)
    super(*json_args(*args))
  end

  def put(*args)
    super(*json_args(*args))
  end

  def delete(*args)
    super(*json_args(*args))
  end

  def json_args(path, params = {}, headers = {})
    [path, params.to_json, headers.merge('CONTENT_TYPE' => 'application/json')]
  end
end

RSpec.configure do |config|
  config.include JsonRequests, type: :request
end

Keep in mind that this will override all Specs within ./spec/requests so if you need to use "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" you could also include this module manually as needed in your Describe 'something' do block.

Answer 4

Rails 5 no hacks:

put(:update,
    params: {project_id: 1},
    body: {name: 'Updated Project 1'}.to_json,
    as: :json)

This sets the content_type correctly. In the controller params will hold both params and body.

Answer 5

Rails 5

headers = { 'CONTENT_TYPE' => 'application/json' }
params = { user_type: 'tester' } 

and after that request like

post '/api/v1/users/test', params.to_json, headers

and also remove .to_json from request route

Answer 6

A lot of frustration and variations and that's what worked for me. Rails 3.2.12 Rspec 2.10

 @request.env["HTTP_ACCEPT"] = "application/json"
 @request.env["CONTENT_TYPE"] = "application/json"
 put :update, :id => 1, "email" => "bing@test.com"

wrap_parameters seems to be working declared this way

wrap_parameters User, format: :json

being used for User model