Cataly...rialize(3pm)

💅 NAME 💅

Catalyst::Action::Deserialize — Deserialize Data in a Request 🦋

okay bestie, so this is a Perl module from the User Contributed Perl Documentation, and it's literally all about taking the body of an incoming HTTP request and turning it back into a real live object. iconic behavior, fr fr.

---

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

package Foo::Controller::Bar;

__PACKAGE__->config(
    'default'   => 'text/x-yaml',
    'stash_key' => 'rest',
    'map'       => {
        'text/x-yaml'        => 'YAML',
        'text/x-data-dumper' => [ 'Data::Serializer', 'Data::Dumper' ],
    },
);

sub begin :ActionClass('Deserialize') {}

no cap, that's the whole vibe right there 💖

---

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

This action deserializes HTTP POST, PUT, OPTIONS and DELETE requests. It assumes the body of the HTTP Request is a serialized object. And how does it know which serializer to use?? It introspects the request's content-type header, bestie. main character detective energy 🔍✨

If you wanna deserialize any other HTTP method besides POST, PUT, OPTIONS and DELETE, you can totally do that by setting the deserialize_http_methods list via action_args. Just modify the config in your controller and define a list of HTTP methods the deserialization should happen for:

__PACKAGE__->config(
    action_args => {
        '*' => {
            deserialize_http_methods => [qw(POST PUT OPTIONS DELETE GET)]
        }
    }
);

See also action_args in Catalyst::Controller.

The specifics of deserializing each content-type is implemented as a plugin to Catalyst::Action::Deserialize. You can see a list of currently implemented plugins in Catalyst::Controller::REST. 🧚

The results of your Deserializing will wind up in $c->req->data. This is done through the magic of Catalyst::Request::REST. (magic. literal magic. 💫)

While it is common for this Action to be called globally as a begin method, there is nothing stopping you from using it on a single routine:

sub foo :Local :Action('Deserialize') {}

Will work just fine. periodt. 💅

When you use this module, the request class will be changed to Catalyst::Request::REST.

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🔥 RFC 7231 Compliance Mode 🔥

To maintain backwards compatibility with the module's original functionality, where it was assumed the deserialize and serialize content types are the same, an optional compliance mode can be enabled to break this assumption.

__PACKAGE__->config(
    'compliance_mode'    => 1,
    'default'            => 'text/x-yaml',
    'stash_key'          => 'rest',
    'map'                => {
        'text/x-yaml'        => 'YAML',
        'text/x-data-dumper' => [ 'Data::Serializer', 'Data::Dumper' ],
    },
    'deserialize_default => 'application/json',
    'deserialize_map'    => {
        'application/json'   => 'JSON',
    },
);

Three extra keys are added to the controller configuration. compliance_mode, a boolean to enable the mode. And a parallel set of content type mappings 'deserialize_default' and 'deserialize_map' to mirror the default/map configuration keys.

The module will use the default/map keys when negotiating the serializing content type specified by the client in the Accept header. And will use the deserialize_default/deserialize_map in conjunction with the Content-Type header where the client is giving the content type being sent in the request. 🎀

ngl the way this splits "what they want back" from "what they sent you" is lowkey genius. iykyk.

---

💜 CUSTOM ERRORS 💜

For building custom error responses when de-serialization fails, you can create an ActionRole (and use Catalyst::Controller::ActionRole to apply it to the begin action) which overrides unsupported_media_type and/or serialize_bad_request methods. go off, custom error handler 👑

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• You likely want to look at Catalyst::Controller::REST, which implements a sensible set of defaults for a controller doing REST.
• Catalyst::Action::Serialize, Catalyst::Action::REST

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🫶 AUTHORS 🫶

See Catalyst::Action::REST for authors.

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👑 LICENSE 👑

You may distribute this code under the same terms as Perl itself.

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and that's the whole page bestie!! this one lives in the User Contributed Perl Documentation collection, it's written for perl v5.40.1, and it's dated 2026-05-07. mwah. go deserialize something gorgeous 💖✨🎀🦋🌸