How can I handle the Input format error better?

ServiceStack Error Handling
1

Using the 4.0.40 version, I have this as a Service:

public object Post(ShopInformation request)
{
    var result = this.Validator.Validate(request);
    if (!result.IsValid)
        throw result.ToException();

    return AddNewShop(request);
}

where ShopInformation is

[Api("Shop Service")]
[ApiResponse(HttpStatusCode.BadRequest, "Your request was not understood")]
[ApiResponse(HttpStatusCode.InternalServerError, "Oops, something broke")]

[Route("/shops/{AccountId}/{ContactId}", "POST", Summary = "Create a new shop to the current account")]
[Route("/shops/{AccountId}/{ContactId}", "PUT", Summary = "Update a shop from the current account")]
[Route("/shops/", "POST", Summary = "Create a new shop to the current account")]
[Route("/shops/", "PUT", Summary = "Update a shop from the current account")]

[Authenticate()]
public class ShopInformation : IReturn<ShopWithImagesResponse>
{
    public ShopInformation() { }

    [ApiMember(Description = "Contact ID of the user making the request", 
               DataType = "int", IsRequired = true)]
    public int ContactId { get; set; }

    [ApiMember(Description = "Account ID of the user making the request", 
               DataType = "int", IsRequired = true)]
    public int AccountId { get; set; }

    [ApiMember(Description = "Shop information for creation or edition", 
               IsRequired = false)]
    public ShopResponse ShopInfo { get; set; }

    [ApiMember(Description = "Images for uploading", IsRequired = false)]
    public ShopFiles Files { get; set; }
}

and now POSTing through Postman:

with Text:

http://s6.postimg.org/equ9lke8x/screenshot_15.png

with Form fields:

http://s6.postimg.org/j2ivakl5t/screenshot_16.png

with application/json:

download.png1112×1044 97.6 KB

The error does not popup for me as I’m using the ServiceStack.Client in a .NET demo app, but for those working with the API using a different language, like PHP for example, this took me a while to figure out why they couldn’t do a normal POST with data… :open_mouth:

Is there a better way to avoid throwing a Object reference not set to an instance of an object when the input data type mismatch?

2

This NullReferenceException looks like it’s thrown from ShopService.AddNewShop()?