Understanding CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER

[peterhuynh]

I want to reiterate that I'm a noob and am very thankful for this forum and all its help and support.

 

The problem I am having is understand some script, and how I need to modify it to work.

 

(This is a script to POST a buy order on a bitcoin exchange.)

 

Here it is:

<?php
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, "https://cointrader.net/api4/order/BTCCAD/buy");
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, TRUE);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HEADER, FALSE);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, TRUE);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, " { t : {timestamp}, secret : {secret}, total_quantity : {amount}, price : {price} }");
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array("Content-Type: application/json", "X-Auth: {public key}", "X-Auth-Hash: {post body JSON + private key / HMAC-256 algorithm}"));
$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

var_dump($response);

I'm confused about these two lines:

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, " { t : {timestamp}, secret : {secret}, total_quantity : {amount}, price : {price} }");
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array("Content-Type: application/json", "X-Auth: {public key}", "X-Auth-Hash: {post body JSON + private key / HMAC-256 algorithm}"));

I believe CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS is information about the order. My question is: Do I replace, e.g., "{timestamp}" with the timestamp and exclude the curly brackets?

 

I believe CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER is authentication. I am particularly confused about this part: "{post body JSON + private key / HMAC-256 algorithm}". I don't know know what to do with this.

 

 

Again,

Thank you so much phpfreaks!

Edited February 27, 2015 by peterhuynh

[requinix]

I believe CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS is information about the order. My question is: Do I replace, e.g., "{timestamp}" with the timestamp and exclude the curly brackets?

That's the idea, but a JSON string like that is annoying. Instead do

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, json_encode(array(
    "t" => // timestamp,
    "secret" => // secret,
    "total_quantity" => // amount,
    "price" => // price
));

 

I believe CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER is authentication.

It's for arbitrary headers. Said headers can be used for (some types of) authentication.

 

I am particularly confused about this part: "{post body JSON + private key / HMAC-256 algorithm}". I don't know know what to do with this.

You're supposed to take the request body (the json_encode()d stuff, from the code I just wrote), your private key, and run them through the "HMAC256".

 

Unfortunately there is no such thing. I think they mean HMAC with SHA-256.

hash_hmac("sha256", /* the request body */, /* your private key */)

Edited February 27, 2015 by requinix

[peterhuynh]

That's the idea, but a JSON string like that is annoying. Instead do

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, json_encode(array(
    "t" => // timestamp,
    "secret" => // secret,
    "total_quantity" => // amount,
    "price" => // price
));

 

It's for arbitrary headers. Said headers can be used for (some types of) authentication.

 

You're supposed to take the request body (the json_encode()d stuff, from the code I just wrote), your private key, and run them through the "HMAC256".

 

Unfortunately there is no such thing. I think they mean HMAC with SHA-256.

hash_hmac("sha256", /* the request body */, /* your private key */)

 

Hi Requinix, thanks for the clarification.

 

How do I take the request body and run it through hmac256? i.e., what exactly would be supplemented for the following line?

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array("Content-Type: application/json", "X-Auth: {public key}", "X-Auth-Hash: {post body JSON + private key / HMAC-256 algorithm}"));

Thanks again!

[boompa]

The hash_hmac function.

 

There's a full example right on the page! http://docs.cointrader.apiary.io/#authenticatedmethodspost

[peterhuynh]

The hash_hmac function.

 

There's a full example right on the page! http://docs.cointrader.apiary.io/#authenticatedmethodspost

 

Honestly, I've read the example at least a dozen times, and I've tried running it in my script but to no avail.

 

I'm not sure how I authenticate using curl. I'll keep trying.