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Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2012 16:16:42 +0200
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To: ivan.enderlin@hoa-project.net
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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] POST, content-type: application/json and json_decode
From: jpauli@php.net (jpauli)

On Fri, Sep 21, 2012 at 1:05 PM, Ivan Enderlin @ Hoa
<ivan.enderlin@hoa-project.net> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> If PHP receives a HTTP request with the method POST and with the header
> Content-Type: application/x-www-form-encoded, then, it automatically parses
> the request body to populate an array in $_POST. If the Content-Type is
> different (e.g. text/plain or application/json), the request body is
> reachable by reading php://input. Well, it is ok.
>
> But is there any plans to consider application/json by parsing the request
> body and populate the result in $_POST (with the help of json_decode()
> maybe)?
>
> If so, I would like to propose a patch but I don't find in the source code
> where request body is caugth and parsed (for POST). Any ideas?
> Maybe a RFC would also be welcome to complete my suggestion?
>
> Thanks.

Hi !

Reading and parsing post data function is defined as a SAPI struct
function pointer.
You should look at sapi_module_struct definition
(http://lxr.php.net/xref/PHP_5_4/main/SAPI.h#251).

When a request comes in, sapi_activate() is called. It then calls
sapi_read_post_data() http://lxr.php.net/xref/PHP_5_4/main/SAPI.c#459
that itself invokes handlers.
Default handlers are defined here :
http://lxr.php.net/xref/PHP_5_4/main/php_content_types.c#29 and for
POST, by default, sapi_read_standard_form_data() is called (defined
here http://lxr.php.net/xref/PHP_5_4/main/SAPI.c#253)
This function is in fact just a bridge, it tells PHP to call
sapi.read_post() which is a function pointer defined by each SAPI.
Finally, later on, sapi.default_post_reader() is called (again, a
function pointer defined by each SAPI)

I agree it's not a very trivial part though :p

Julien.P