Alexa JSON Request doesn't match Intent Schema - json

Question

I am hosting an application server with Express (Versions: "body-parser": 1.14.2", "express": "^4.13.3", "parse-http-header": "^1.0.0", "x509": "^0.2.3")
Node v5.4.1 NPM v3.3.12
I have successfully tested the SSL connection between Alexa and my local App server, however, when I parse the Request from Alexa it doesn't match my Intent Schema or the generated Service Request under the Service Simulator - Test.
Code:
const fs = require('fs'); //File System, for loading certifications and keys
var http = require('http');
var https = require('https'); //Https server module
var bodyParser = require('body-parser');
var parseHttpHeader = require('parse-http-header');
/***************** Credentials **********************/
const privateKey = fs.readFileSync('keys/private-key.pem'); //Private Key for validation (server uses only)
const certificate = fs.readFileSync('certs/certificate.pem'); //Certificate, to provide to connecting host.
const options = {
key: privateKey,
cert: certificate
};
/******** Instantiate the Express server *************/
var express = require('express');
var app = express(); //Instantiate express server
//Express configuration
app.set('title', 'mySkillJS');
app.set('json spaces', 2);
//Route all requests from app
app.all('/*', function(request, response){
//Handle request
var bucket = request;
console.log('\n \n \n &&&&&& \n \n \n');
var joptions = {
type: 'application/json'
}
var bodyParsed = app.use(bodyParser.json(joptions));
console.log(bodyParsed);
var headParsed = parseHttpHeader(bucket.headers['content-type'])[0];
console.log(headParsed);
});
//Ceate Server with SSL credentials
var httpsServer = https.createServer(options, app).listen(8000);//createServer(options, fx(req, res))
Intent Schema:
{
"intents": [
{
"intent": "HelloWorldIntent"
},
{
"intent": "AMAZON.HelpIntent"
}
]
}
generated Service Request:
{
"session": {
"sessionId": "SessionId.efb0235c-8201-4877-832e-58671b42c9b5",
"application": {
"applicationId": "amzn1.echo-sdk-ams.app.9eb766d1-f6a6-4ac7-9801-ce1478782b98"
},
"user": {
"userId": "amzn1.echo-sdk-account.AHUTLGA6FMHPERGIUSQTTXG2RLOABOBTGSGN4LXBEWYK2XDLDRXU2"
},
"new": true
},
"request": {
"type": "IntentRequest",
"requestId": "EdwRequestId.734c7e4a-ec2c-4bdf-b2bc-37757796e670",
"timestamp": "2016-01-22T04:10:18Z",
"intent": {
"name": "HelloWorldIntent",
"slots": {}
}
}
}
Request from Alexa handled by my app server:
&&&&&&
{ [Function]
domain: undefined,
_events: { mount: [Function: onmount] },
_maxListeners: undefined,
setMaxListeners: [Function: setMaxListeners],
getMaxListeners: [Function: getMaxListeners],
emit: [Function: emit],
addListener: [Function: addListener],
on: [Function: addListener],
once: [Function: once],
removeListener: [Function: removeListener],
removeAllListeners: [Function: removeAllListeners],
listeners: [Function: listeners],
listenerCount: [Function: listenerCount],
init: [Function: init],
defaultConfiguration: [Function: defaultConfiguration],
lazyrouter: [Function: lazyrouter],
handle: [Function: handle],
use: [Function: use],
route: [Function: route],
engine: [Function: engine],
param: [Function: param],
set: [Function: set],
path: [Function: path],
enabled: [Function: enabled],
disabled: [Function: disabled],
enable: [Function: enable],
disable: [Function: disable],
acl: [Function],
bind: [Function],
checkout: [Function],
connect: [Function],
copy: [Function],
delete: [Function],
get: [Function],
head: [Function],
link: [Function],
lock: [Function],
'm-search': [Function],
merge: [Function],
mkactivity: [Function],
mkcalendar: [Function],
mkcol: [Function],
move: [Function],
notify: [Function],
options: [Function],
patch: [Function],
post: [Function],
propfind: [Function],
proppatch: [Function],
purge: [Function],
put: [Function],
rebind: [Function],
report: [Function],
search: [Function],
subscribe: [Function],
trace: [Function],
unbind: [Function],
unlink: [Function],
unlock: [Function],
unsubscribe: [Function],
all: [Function: all],
del: [Function],
render: [Function: render],
listen: [Function: listen],
request: IncomingMessage { app: [Circular] },
response: ServerResponse { app: [Circular] },
cache: {},
engines: {},
settings:
{ 'x-powered-by': true,
etag: 'weak',
'etag fn': [Function: wetag],
env: 'development',
'query parser': 'extended',
'query parser fn': [Function: parseExtendedQueryString],
'subdomain offset': 2,
'trust proxy': false,
'trust proxy fn': [Function: trustNone],
view: [Function: View],
views: '/home/dev/Alexa/alexa-js-mod/samples/helloWorld/src/views',
'jsonp callback name': 'callback',
title: 'mySkillJS',
'json spaces': 2 },
_eventsCount: 1,
locals:
{ settings:
{ 'x-powered-by': true,
etag: 'weak',
'etag fn': [Function: wetag],
env: 'development',
'query parser': 'extended',
'query parser fn': [Function: parseExtendedQueryString],
'subdomain offset': 2,
'trust proxy': false,
'trust proxy fn': [Function: trustNone],
view: [Function: View],
views: '/home/dev/Alexa/alexa-js-mod/samples/helloWorld/src/views',
'jsonp callback name': 'callback',
title: 'mySkillJS',
'json spaces': 2 } },
mountpath: '/',
_router:
{ [Function: router]
params: {},
_params: [],
caseSensitive: false,
mergeParams: undefined,
strict: false,
stack: [ [Object], [Object], [Object], [Object] ] } }
application/json
I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I thought that Request would hold something similar to either my Intent Schema or the generated Service Request. Why don't I see Intent Schema or my generated Service Request in the JSON Request I receive from Alexa?

Answer 1

So this problem arose because of inexperience with the express module.
I thought bodyParsed would hold a value returned from: app.use(bodyParser.json());
when you use app.use(bodyParser.json());
It actually stores it in the body property of the Request.
So:
app.use(bodyParser.json(joptions));//causes request.body to populate with the JSON data
app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true })); // for parsing application/x-www-form-urlencoded requires multer
app.all('/*', function(request, response){
//Handle request
var bucket = request;
console.log('\n \n \n &&&&&& \n \n \n');
var joptions = {
type: 'application/json'
}
console.log(request.body));
var headParsed = parseHttpHeader(bucket.headers['content-type'])[0];
console.log(headParsed);
});
Not sure if this forces all requests to be parsed as application/json. Maybe moving the bodyparser inside the app.all() will cause it to only parse when using that route?