Android, Java: HTTP POST Request

Here's an example previously found at androidsnippets.com (the site is currently not maintained anymore).

// Create a new HttpClient and Post Header
HttpClient httpclient = new DefaultHttpClient();
HttpPost httppost = new HttpPost("http://www.yoursite.com/script.php");

try {
    // Add your data
    List<NameValuePair> nameValuePairs = new ArrayList<NameValuePair>(2);
    nameValuePairs.add(new BasicNameValuePair("id", "12345"));
    nameValuePairs.add(new BasicNameValuePair("stringdata", "AndDev is Cool!"));
    httppost.setEntity(new UrlEncodedFormEntity(nameValuePairs));

    // Execute HTTP Post Request
    HttpResponse response = httpclient.execute(httppost);

} catch (ClientProtocolException e) {
    // TODO Auto-generated catch block
} catch (IOException e) {
    // TODO Auto-generated catch block
}

So, you can add your parameters as BasicNameValuePair.

An alternative is to use (Http)URLConnection. See also Using java.net.URLConnection to fire and handle HTTP requests. This is actually the preferred method in newer Android versions (Gingerbread+). See also this blog, this developer doc and Android's HttpURLConnection javadoc.


to @BalusC answer I would add how to convert the response in a String:

HttpResponse response = client.execute(request);
HttpEntity entity = response.getEntity();
if (entity != null) {
    InputStream instream = entity.getContent();

    String result = RestClient.convertStreamToString(instream);
    Log.i("Read from server", result);
}

Here is an example of convertStramToString.


Please consider using HttpPost. Adopt from this: http://www.javaworld.com/javatips/jw-javatip34.html

URLConnection connection = new URL("http://webservice.companyname.com/login/dologin").openConnection();
// Http Method becomes POST
connection.setDoOutput(true);

// Encode according to application/x-www-form-urlencoded specification
String content =
    "id=" + URLEncoder.encode ("username") +
    "&num=" + URLEncoder.encode ("password") +
    "&remember=" + URLEncoder.encode ("on") +
    "&output=" + URLEncoder.encode ("xml");
connection.setRequestProperty("Content-Type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"); 

// Try this should be the length of you content.
// it is not neccessary equal to 48. 
// content.getBytes().length is not neccessarily equal to content.length() if the String contains non ASCII characters.
connection.setRequestProperty("Content-Length", content.getBytes().length); 

// Write body
OutputStream output = connection.getOutputStream(); 
output.write(content.getBytes());
output.close();

You will need to catch the exception yourself.


I'd rather recommend you to use Volley to make GET, PUT, POST... requests.

First, add dependency in your gradle file.

compile 'com.he5ed.lib:volley:android-cts-5.1_r4'

Now, use this code snippet to make requests.

RequestQueue queue = Volley.newRequestQueue(getApplicationContext());

        StringRequest postRequest = new StringRequest( com.android.volley.Request.Method.POST, mURL,
                new Response.Listener<String>()
                {
                    @Override
                    public void onResponse(String response) {
                        // response
                        Log.d("Response", response);
                    }
                },
                new Response.ErrorListener()
                {
                    @Override
                    public void onErrorResponse(VolleyError error) {
                        // error
                        Log.d("Error.Response", error.toString());
                    }
                }
        ) {
            @Override
            protected Map<String, String> getParams()
            {
                Map<String, String>  params = new HashMap<String, String>();
                //add your parameters here as key-value pairs
                params.put("username", username);
                params.put("password", password);

                return params;
            }
        };
        queue.add(postRequest);