USPS HTTP Post Request - perl

Question

Here is the error message I am receiving when I try to run the following Perl code. Any ideas what causing this? It appears it does not like the API=Verify, but it was the only name for the API which returns a 9 digit zip code I could find.
80040B1AAPI Authorization failure. is not a valid API name for this
protocol.USPSCOM::DoAuth
# Perl subroutine for POST Request
#########
sub FindTracking() {
$saddress="60 Passional Way";
$scity="Burnsville";
$szip="27690";
$sstate="NC";
print "start of tracking...<br>";
$queryString = qq~
<?xml version="1.0"?>
https://secure.shippingapis.com/ShippingAPI.dll?API=Verify&XML=
<AddressValidateRequest USERID="xxxxxxx">
<Revision>1</Revision>
<Address ID="0">
<Address1></Address1>
<Address2>$saddress</Address2>
<City>$scity</City>
<State>$sstate</State>
<Zip5>$szip</Zip5>
<Zip4></Zip4>
</Address>
</AddressValidateRequest>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<AddressValidateResponse><Address ID="0">
<Address2></Address2><City></City><State></State><Zip5></Zip5>
<Zip4></Zip4></Address></AddressValidateResponse>
<Error>
<Number></Number>
<Source></Source>
<Description></Description>
<HelpFile></HelpFile>
<HelpContext></HelpContext>
</Error>
~;
# Instantiate the user agent and set our agent string
$userAgent = new LWP::UserAgent;
$userAgent->agent( 'USPS' );
$queryString =~ s/ /\%20/ig;
$request = new HTTP::Request( 'POST',
'https://secure.shippingapis.com/ShippingAPI.dll' );
# Set the content type
$request->content_type( 'text/xml' );
# Set the query string
$request->content( $queryString );
# Make the request
$response = $userAgent->request( $request );
print $response->content();
# Check the status of the request
if ( $response->is_success ) {
$content = $$response{ "_content" };
$TrackingNumber = "";
($success) = $content =~ /\<AddressValidateRequest\>(.*)\
<\/AddressValidateRequest\>/;
print "<br><br>==>some $content<br>";
if ($success eq "Success") {
($TrackingNumber)= $content =~ /\<Zip4\>(.*)\<\/Zip4\>/;
print "here with $TrackingNumber<br>";
}
}
else {
print "<br><br>here with resp=$response<br>req=$request <br>cont
$content";
}
}

Answer 1

To start, you have an invalid query string. Compare what you are doing to the USPS WebTools example and remove what they don't show. Be sure that you are setting your USERID properly (and not using 'xxxxxxx'); an environment variable is handy there.
Or, you can try using the Business::USPS::WebTools module from GitHub. It implements the Zip Code Lookup.

Answer 2

Change your query XML to:
$queryString = qq~
<AddressValidateRequest USERID="xxxxxxxxxxx">
<Revision>1</Revision>
<Address ID="0">
<Address1></Address1>
<Address2>$saddress</Address2>
<City>$scity</City>
<State>$sstate</State>
<Zip5>$szip</Zip5>
<Zip4></Zip4>
</Address>
</AddressValidateRequest>
~;
Then build the request as a GET instead of a POST:
$userAgent = new LWP::UserAgent;
$userAgent->agent( 'USPS' );
$url = "https://secure.shippingapis.com/ShippingAPI.dll?API=Verify&XML=$queryString";
$request = new HTTP::Request( 'GET', $url );