How to set up file upload functionality for an API on RapidAPI?

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1

Hey everyone! I’m trying to figure out how to make my API work with file uploads on RapidAPI. I’ve got a FastAPI setup that takes a Word doc and spits out the content. It’s running fine on Heroku, but I’m stumped on how to get it working on RapidAPI.

Here’s a simplified version of what I’m working with:

from fastapi import FastAPI, UploadFile, File
import docx
from io import BytesIO

app = FastAPI()

@app.post('/process_doc')
async def process_doc(file: UploadFile = File(...)):
    doc = docx.Document(BytesIO(await file.read()))
    text = [para.text for para in doc.paragraphs]
    return '\n'.join(text)

I can test it locally with a simple POST request, but RapidAPI seems to only offer JSON and form data options. Is there a way to handle file uploads there? Any tips would be super helpful!

2

hey there! i’ve used rapidapi before and ran into similar probs. have u tried using base64 encoding for ur files? it’s a neat workaround. basically, encode ur file on the client side, send it as a string in the json payload, then decode it back to binary in ur api. its not perfect but it works!

3

I’ve actually implemented file uploads on RapidAPI for a project recently, and I can share what worked for me. Instead of using the traditional file upload method, I switched to Base64 encoding. Here’s the gist:

Convert your file to a Base64 string on the client side before sending it. In your API, you’ll need to modify your endpoint to accept this string instead of a file upload. Then, decode the Base64 string back to binary data in your function.

Your updated FastAPI code might look something like this:

import base64

@app.post('/process_doc')
async def process_doc(file_data: dict):
    file_content = base64.b64decode(file_data['file'])
    doc = docx.Document(BytesIO(file_content))
    text = [para.text for para in doc.paragraphs]
    return {'content': '\n'.join(text)}

This approach worked smoothly with RapidAPI’s JSON payload system. Just remember to handle potential decoding errors, and you should be good to go!

4

I’ve dealt with a similar issue when integrating file uploads with RapidAPI. The key is to use Base64 encoding for your files. Here’s what worked for me:

  1. Modify your FastAPI endpoint to accept Base64 encoded strings.
  2. On the RapidAPI side, set up your API to accept a JSON payload with a field for the Base64 encoded file.
  3. In your code, decode the Base64 string back into binary data before processing.

You’ll need to adjust your endpoint like this:

@app.post('/process_doc')
async def process_doc(file_data: dict):
    file_content = base64.b64decode(file_data['file'])
    doc = docx.Document(BytesIO(file_content))
    # Rest of your processing logic

This approach lets you work within RapidAPI’s constraints while still handling file uploads effectively. Hope this helps!