Error: options: expected array, got string - but it is an array?

[James_T]

I'm having trouble with an API call. It claims I send a string, but it seems to me to be an array.

This is the full error:

Error in call to API function "https://content.dropboxapi.com/2/files/search_v2": options: expected array, got string

This is what was sent to cURL:

method:"POST"
header:"Authorization: Bearer MYTOKEN
Content-Type: application/json
Content-Length: 86"
content:"{"query":"test","options":{"path":"","max_results":100,"file_categories":"folder"}}"
ignore_errors:true

 Anyone know what's wrong?

[Здравко]

Hi @James_T,

Have you took a look on where parameters have to be put on? 🤔 Into header part of the HTTP query or into data part? 🧐 What are you doing actually? 🙂

Hope this tip gives right direction.

[James_T]

Hi,

I'm trying to do a search.  I use a PHP library to handle the cURL calls. It works fine for creating a folder for instance.

Since the error is specifically about "options" parameter, I assume the call is done correctly, if it wasn't I assume I would get an error about something else, or even a missing "query" parameter?

[Здравко]

---

@James_T wrote:
.., I assume the call is done correctly, if it wasn't I assume I would get an error about something else, or even a missing "query" parameter?

---

Better, don't assume anything! 👆 I can't be certain, what actually you have done. Seems you have posted in OP your HTTP query. 🧐 Is this correct? If so, there are multiple errors! I'm guessing most of them are copy/paste errors when you prepared the post.

To be sure, what we're talking about, post exact structure of your HTTP request/response and/or the code you are using (not something like, as is posted now). Better catch your HTTP request/response, so we would be sure exactly what's going on and what's the error. 😉

[James_T]

Below is my complete code. And here is the result:

Error in call to API function "files/search_v2": options: expected array, got string

$token = "....";
$options = array("path" => "/", "max_results" => 10);
$options["file_categories"] = "folder";
$parameters = array("query" => "searchPhrase", "options" => $options);

$headers = array(
    "Authorization: Bearer $token",
    'Content-Type: application/json'
);

$curlOptions = array(
    CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => $headers,
    CURLOPT_POST => true,
    CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode($parameters),
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_VERBOSE => true,
    CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYHOST => false,
    CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYPEER => false
);

try {

    $ch = curl_init('https://api.dropboxapi.com/2/files/search_v2');
    curl_setopt_array($ch, $curlOptions);

    $response = curl_exec($ch);
    //var_dump($response);
    curl_close($ch);

} catch (Exception $e) {

    trigger_error(
        sprintf(
            'Curl failed with error #%d: %s',
            $e->getCode(),
            $e->getMessage()
        ),
        E_USER_ERROR
    );
}

Some more debugging:

echo json_encode($parameters, JSON_PRETTY_PRINT);

{
    "query": "cat",
    "options": {
        "path": "\/folder",
        "max_results": 10,
        "file_categories": "folder"
    }
}
Error in call to API function "files/search_v2": options: expected array, got string

That sure looks like an array to me, so I don't understand why it says it's a string...

[James_T · Accepted solution]

Found the problem... the option file_categories needs to be an array as well.