How to use System.Net.HttpClient to post a complex type?

The generic HttpRequestMessage<T> has been removed. This :

new HttpRequestMessage<Widget>(widget)

will no longer work.

Instead, from this post, the ASP.NET team has included some new calls to support this functionality:

HttpClient.PostAsJsonAsync<T>(T value) sends “application/json”
HttpClient.PostAsXmlAsync<T>(T value) sends “application/xml”

So, the new code (from dunston) becomes:

Widget widget = new Widget()
widget.Name = "test"
widget.Price = 1;

HttpClient client = new HttpClient();
client.BaseAddress = new Uri("http://localhost:44268");
client.PostAsJsonAsync("api/test", widget)
    .ContinueWith((postTask) => postTask.Result.EnsureSuccessStatusCode() );

You should use the SendAsync method instead, this is a generic method, that serializes the input to the service

Widget widget = new Widget()
widget.Name = "test"
widget.Price = 1;

HttpClient client = new HttpClient();
client.BaseAddress = new Uri("http://localhost:44268/api/test");
client.SendAsync(new HttpRequestMessage<Widget>(widget))
    .ContinueWith((postTask) => postTask.Result.EnsureSuccessStatusCode() );

If you don't want to create the concrete class, you can make it with the FormUrlEncodedContent class

var client = new HttpClient();

// This is the postdata
var postData = new List<KeyValuePair<string, string>>();
postData.Add(new KeyValuePair<string, string>("Name", "test"));
postData.Add(new KeyValuePair<string, string>("Price ", "100"));

HttpContent content = new FormUrlEncodedContent(postData); 

client.PostAsync("http://localhost:44268/api/test", content).ContinueWith(
    (postTask) =>
    {
        postTask.Result.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();
    });

Note: you need to make your id to a nullable int (int?)

Note that if you are using a Portable Class Library, HttpClient will not have PostAsJsonAsync method. To post a content as JSON using a Portable Class Library, you will have to do this:

HttpClient client = new HttpClient();
HttpContent contentPost = new StringContent(argsAsJson, Encoding.UTF8, 
"application/json");

await client.PostAsync(new Uri(wsUrl), contentPost).ContinueWith(
(postTask) => postTask.Result.EnsureSuccessStatusCode());

If you want the types of convenience methods mentioned in other answers but need portability (or even if you don't), you might want to check out Flurl [disclosure: I'm the author]. It (thinly) wraps HttpClient and Json.NET and adds some fluent sugar and other goodies, including some baked-in testing helpers.

Post as JSON:

var resp = await "http://localhost:44268/api/test".PostJsonAsync(widget);

or URL-encoded:

var resp = await "http://localhost:44268/api/test".PostUrlEncodedAsync(widget);

Both examples above return an HttpResponseMessage, but Flurl includes extension methods for returning other things if you just want to cut to the chase:

T poco = await url.PostJsonAsync(data).ReceiveJson<T>();
dynamic d = await url.PostUrlEncodedAsync(data).ReceiveJson();
string s = await url.PostUrlEncodedAsync(data).ReceiveString();

Flurl is available on NuGet:

PM> Install-Package Flurl.Http

How to use System.Net.HttpClient to post a complex type?

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