Send Requests

Learn how to use Quetzly Validator's powerful API testing features to send requests to various geospatial services and APIs. This guide covers everything from basic requests to advanced testing scenarios.

Getting to the API Section

1. Launch Quetzly Validator
2. Click the API icon in the left sidebar
3. You'll see the main request interface with two panels:
   • Left Panel: Request configuration
   • Right Panel: Map viewer and responses

Request Builder Interface

Basic Request Setup

The top section contains the core request configuration:

1. HTTP Method Selection

Choose from standard HTTP methods:

• GET: Retrieve data (most common for geospatial services)
• POST: Send data to create resources
• PUT: Update existing resources

2. Service Type Selection

Select the type of service you're testing:

• JSON: Standard REST APIs - Geojson or Json
• WMS: Web Map Service
• WFS: Web Feature Service
• Esri Map Service: ArcGIS Map Services
• Esri Feature Service: ArcGIS Feature Services

3. URL Input

Enter the endpoint URL you want to test. Examples:

# ArcGIS Map Service
https://services.arcgis.com/example/arcgis/rest/services/layer/MapServer

# REST API
https://api.example.com/v1/data?f=json

# WMS GetCapabilities
https://example.com/geoserver/wms

# WFS GetFeature
https://example.com/geoserver/wfs

4. Send Button

Click Send to execute the request and view the response.

Advanced Request Configuration

Query Parameters

Add custom query parameters to your requests:

1. Click the "Query Params" tab (active by default)
2. Enter parameter key-value pairs:
   • Key: Parameter name (e.g., service, version, format)
   • Value: Parameter value (e.g., WMS, 1.3.0, image/png)
3. Click "Add" to create additional parameter pairs
4. Click "Remove" to delete unwanted parameters

Note: At the moment the query parameters can only be used for a json type request. Support for other types is still in developement. The other types use a simple GET request and can be visualized.

Example Parameters

JSON Request with Parameters to ArcGIS Service:

• f: Response format (json, pjson, etc.)
• where: SQL where clause
• outFields: Fields to return
• geometry: Spatial filter geometry
• spatialRel: Spatial relationship
• returnGeometry: Include geometry (true/false)

GEOJSON Request with Parameters:

# Geojson Request
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query

• format: geojson
• starttime: 2024-01-01
• endtime: 2024-01-02
• minmagnitude: 5

Headers

Add custom HTTP headers for authentication or content type specification:

1. Click the "Headers" tab
2. Add header key-value pairs:
   • Authorization: Bearer your-token-here
   • Content-Type: application/json
   • Accept: application/json
   • User-Agent: Quetzly/1.0
3. Click "Add" for additional headers
4. Click "Remove" to delete headers

Request Body

For POST, PUT, and PATCH requests, configure the request body:

1. Click the "Body" tab
2. Edit the JSON in the code editor
3. Use the built-in syntax highlighting and validation
4. Format your JSON properly for the target API

Example POST body for creating a feature:

{
  "type": "Feature",
  "geometry": {
    "type": "Point",
    "coordinates": [-122.4194, 37.7749]
  },
  "properties": {},
  "id": 0
}

Response Analysis

After sending a request, the response section becomes visible with detailed information:

Response Status Bar

• Status: HTTP status code (200, 404, 500, etc.)
• Time: Request duration in milliseconds
• Size: Response size in bytes/KB/MB

Response Tabs

Body Tab

View the raw response content:

• JSON responses: Formatted with syntax highlighting

Headers Tab

Inspect response headers:

• Content-Type: Response format
• Content-Length: Response size
• Cache-Control: Caching directives
• Server: Server information
• Custom headers: Service-specific headers

Layers Tab

For geospatial services, this tab shows:

• Available layers: Detected from service metadata
• Layer properties: Name, title, description
• Add to map: Checkboxes to add layers to the map viewer
• Layer styling: Basic styling

Working with Geospatial Services

ArcGIS Services

1. For Map services, add the ArcGIS service url all the way up to the /MapServer
   • https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/State_County/MapServer
2. For Feature services, add the ArcGIS service url all the way up to the /FeatureServer
   • https://organization.example.com/<context>/rest/services/USA/FeatureServer
3. The Map and/or layers will be added to the map and layer list

JSON Requests

You can make custom Map and feature service queries by using the JSON request type.

Map Service Query:

1. Set service type to "JSON"
2. Add query endpoint: /query
3. Add parameters:
   • f: json
   • where: 1=1 (or specific filter)
   • outFields: * (or specific fields)
   • returnGeometry: true

Feature Service Operations:

1. Set service type to "JSON"
2. Use endpoints like /query, /addFeatures, /updateFeatures
3. Configure appropriate parameters for the operation

For additional information refer to esri documentation for map services and feature services.

WMS (Web Map Service)

WMS Request:

1. Set service type to "WMS"
2. Ensure the url ends with /wms or includes ?SERVICE=WMS
3. Send request to view available layers
4. The GetCapabilities is called to identify layers
5. Layers are listed fo you to select which ones should be added to the Map
6. Select the layers and click add to map.

WFS (Web Feature Service)

WFS Request:

1. Set service type to "WFS"
2. Ensure the url ends with /wfs
3. All Layers will be added to the map and layer list

Map Visualization

When your request returns spatial data:

1. Check the Layers tab in the response
2. Select layers to add to the map
3. View the data in the right panel map viewer
4. Interact with features:
   • Click features for attribute popup
   • Pan and zoom to explore
   • Use map controls for navigation

Map Controls

• Zoom in/out: Mouse wheel or +/- buttons
• Pan: Click and drag
• Feature info: Click on map features