Quickstart: Get image insights using the Bing Visual Search REST API and Ruby
Use this quickstart to make your first call to the Bing Visual Search API using the Ruby programming language. A POST request uploads an image to the API endpoint. The results include URLs and descriptive information about images similar to the uploaded image.
Prerequisites
- Install Ruby 2.4 or later.
- Get a subscription key.
Project and required modules
Create a new Ruby project in your IDE or editor. Import net/http, uri , and json to handle the JSON text of results. Import the base64 library, which encodes the file name string.
require 'net/https'
require 'uri'
require 'json'
require 'base64'
Define variables
The following code declares the main function and assigns the required variables:
- Confirm that the endpoint is correct and replace the
accessKeyvalue with a valid subscription key from your Azure account. - For
batchNumber, assign a GUID, which is required for the leading and trailing boundaries of the POST data. - For
fileName, assign the image file to use for the POST. - Use an
ifblock to test for a valid subscription key.
accessKey = "ACCESS-KEY"
uri = "https://api.bing.microsoft.com"
path = "/bing/v7.0/images/visualsearch"
batchNumber = "dc05c75a-6b5e-4059-b556-0b7c079819a5"
fileName = "red-dress.jpg"
if accessKey.length != 32 then
puts "Invalid Bing Search API subscription key!"
puts "Please paste yours into the source code."
abort
end
Form data for POST request
Enclose the image data to POST by leading and trailing boundaries. The following functions set the boundaries:
def BuildFormDataStart(batNum, fileName) startBoundary = "--batch_" + batNum return startBoundary + "\r\n" + "Content-Disposition: form-data; name=\"image\"; filename=" + "\"" + fileName + "\"" + "\r\n\r\n" end def BuildFormDataEnd(batNum) return "\r\n\r\n" + "--batch_" + batNum + "--" + "\r\n" endConstruct the endpoint URI and an array to contain the POST body. Use the previous function to load the start boundary into the array. Read the image file into the array, and then read the end boundary into the array.
uri = URI(uri + path) print uri print "\r\n\r\n" post_body = [] post_body << BuildFormDataStart(batchNumber, fileName) post_body << File.read(fileName) #Base64.encode64(File.read(fileName)) post_body << BuildFormDataEnd(batchNumber)
Create the HTTP request
Set the Ocp-Apim-Subscription-Key header. Create the request, and then assign the header and content type. Join the POST body you created previously to the request.
header = {'Ocp-Apim-Subscription-Key': accessKey}
request = Net::HTTP::Post.new(uri) # , 'ImageKnowledge' => 'ImageKnowledge'
request['Ocp-Apim-Subscription-Key'] = accessKey
request.content_type = "multipart/form-data; boundary=batch_" + batchNumber
request.body = post_body.join
Request and response
Ruby sends the request and gets the response with the following code:
response = Net::HTTP.start(uri.host, uri.port, :use_ssl => uri.scheme == 'https') do |http|
http.request(request)
end
Print the results
Print the headers of the response, and use the JSON library to format the output:
puts "\nRelevant Headers:\n\n"
response.each_header do |key, value|
if key.start_with?("bingapis-") or key.start_with?("x-msedge-") then
puts key + ": " + value
end
end
puts "\nJSON Response:\n\n"
puts JSON::pretty_generate(JSON(response.body))
JSON response
The following JSON is a segment of the output:
Relevant Headers:
bingapis-traceid: 6E19E78D4FEC4A61AB4F85977EEDB8E6
x-msedge-clientid: 3928F9869390668A304CF49792DC6746
x-msedge-ref: Ref A: 6E19E78D4FEC4A61AB4F85977EEDB8E6 Ref B: BY3EDGE0310 Ref C: 2019-02-28T19:25:12Z
JSON Response:
{
"_type": "ImageKnowledge",
"instrumentation": {
"_type": "ResponseInstrumentation",
"pingUrlBase": "https://www.bingapis.com/api/ping?IG=3F6A656574B24F81A553485B4B3244EF&CID=3928F9869390668A304CF49792DC6746&ID=",
"pageLoadPingUrl": "https://www.bingapis.com/api/ping/pageload?IG=3F6A656574B24F81A553485B4B3244EF&CID=3928F9869390668A304CF49792DC6746&Type=Event.CPT&DATA=0"
},
"tags": [
{
"displayName": "",
"actions": [
{
"_type": "ImageModuleAction",
"actionType": "PagesIncluding",
"data": {
"value": [
{
"webSearchUrl": "https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailv2&FORM=OIIRPO&id=6988549F8C0C0688972CCC9F6A5E5F70F17D6F1E&simid=608025573664556965",
"webSearchUrlPingSuffix": "DevEx,5044.1",
"name": "Peanut Butter & Banana Training Treats. | Loved By A Collie",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.FyoKOORtLFGzzanAVfPt4QAAAA&pid=Api",
"datePublished": "2014-02-04T12:00:00.0000000Z",
"isFamilyFriendly": true,
"contentUrl": "https://lovedbyacollie.lifeseven.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/PBBcookies.png",
"contentUrlPingSuffix": "DevEx,5046.1",
"hostPageUrl": "https://lovedbyacollie.lifeseven.com/2014/02/04/peanut-butter-banana-training-treats/",
"hostPageUrlPingSuffix": "DevEx,5045.1",
"contentSize": "197552 B",
"encodingFormat": "png",
"hostPageDisplayUrl": "lovedbyacollie.lifeseven.com/2014/02/04/peanut-butter-banana...",
"width": 300,
"height": 409,
"hostPageFavIconUrl": "https://www.bing.com/th?id=AR_2ceefde49d9f981b6cab9e9bd0e6693b&pid=Api",
"thumbnail": {
"width": 300,
"height": 409
},
"imageInsightsToken": "ccid_FyoKOORt*mid_6988549F8C0C0688972CCC9F6A5E5F70F17D6F1E*simid_608025573664556965*thid_OIP.FyoKOORtLFGzzanAVfPt4QAAAA",
"insightsMetadata": {
"pagesIncludingCount": 2,
"availableSizesCount": 2
},
"imageId": "6988549F8C0C0688972CCC9F6A5E5F70F17D6F1E",
"accentColor": "8A6E41"
},
{
"webSearchUrl": "https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailv2&FORM=OIIRPO&id=B5B5C37666FB3DB326209F358A1AC9E7B0F484EB&simid=607993125239130030",
"webSearchUrlPingSuffix": "DevEx,5050.1",
"name": "RPG Maker Icons favourites by Leon-Murayami on DeviantArt",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.vzeNdrscXihmLeTdDe6G6AHaKL&pid=Api",
"datePublished": "2019-01-22T06:59:00.0000000Z",
"isFamilyFriendly": true,
"contentUrl": "https://orig00.deviantart.net/753e/f/2018/147/5/0/signs_metal_rusted_by_sarahyt-dccnku0.png",
"contentUrlPingSuffix": "DevEx,5052.1",
"hostPageUrl": "https://www.deviantart.com/leon-murayami/favourites/71077691/RPG-Maker-Icons",
"hostPageUrlPingSuffix": "DevEx,5051.1",
"contentSize": "569772 B",
"encodingFormat": "png",
"hostPageDisplayUrl": "https://www.deviantart.com/leon-murayami/favourites/71077691/RPG...",
"width": 768,
"height": 1056,
"hostPageFavIconUrl": "https://www.bing.com/th?id=AR_b246060a4abab0d7111f5aa733205f06&pid=Api",
"thumbnail": {
"width": 474,
"height": 651
},
"imageInsightsToken": "ccid_vzeNdrsc*mid_B5B5C37666FB3DB326209F358A1AC9E7B0F484EB*simid_607993125239130030*thid_OIP.vzeNdrscXihmLeTdDe6G6AHaKL",
"insightsMetadata": {
"pagesIncludingCount": 3,
"availableSizesCount": 3
},
"imageId": "B5B5C37666FB3DB326209F358A1AC9E7B0F484EB",
"accentColor": "936C38"
}
]
}
},
{
"image": {
"webSearchUrl": "https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailv2&FORM=OIIRPO",
"webSearchUrlPingSuffix": "DevEx,5057.1",
"name": "",
"isFamilyFriendly": true,
"contentSize": "572 B",
"encodingFormat": "jpeg",
"hostPageDisplayUrl": "",
"width": 583,
"height": 583,
"thumbnail": {
"width": 0,
"height": 0
},
"visualWords": "0bfcc afa3e ac572 0aa3e b5daf 12d1a aabab 620ad 0c081 0a5a6 0c1d6 5ebfe ac579 ab7a3 0bff6 ab1eb b1fa0 61970 ac57d 0bfcf 5a8f00bf60e71d1c15a4c1586622845a8f22db5d2db98f058c6d7a112f5c17363ab964ac3f4f058b622795a8335a8f30bfcb"
},
"actionType": "MoreSizes"
},
{
"_type": "ImageModuleAction",
"actionType": "VisualSearch",
"data": {
"value": [
{
"webSearchUrl": "https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailv2&FORM=OIIRPO&id=21423B0D286BB2FCFB3B7090D59EA6F8A54AB7CB&simid=608005928522679185",
"webSearchUrlPingSuffix": "DevEx,5064.1",
"name": "Bemz review of IKEA Söderhamn sofa - Bemz",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.v0zvOeP8dnNFPWQNSu80hwAAAA&pid=Api",
"datePublished": "2017-09-08T02:27:00.0000000Z",
"isFamilyFriendly": true,
"contentUrl": "https://bemz.scene7.com/is/image/Bemz?obj=masks&src=ir%7bBemzRender%2fsq50v2%3f%26src%3dDG2130%26rs%3dQ5%26sharpen%3d1%26res%3d20%26wid%3d2400%26hei%3d2400%7d&resmode=sharp2&op_usm=1,1,8&wid=280&hei=280&scl=5",
"contentUrlPingSuffix": "DevEx,5066.1",
"hostPageUrl": "https://bemz.com/inspiration/popular-products/i-love-my-soderhamn/",
"hostPageUrlPingSuffix": "DevEx,5065.1",
"contentSize": "3000 B",
"encodingFormat": "jpeg",
"hostPageDisplayUrl": "bemz.com/inspiration/popular-products/i-love-my-soderhamn",
"width": 280,
"height": 280,
"thumbnail": {
"width": 280,
"height": 280
},
"imageInsightsToken": "ccid_v0zvOeP8*mid_21423B0D286BB2FCFB3B7090D59EA6F8A54AB7CB*simid_608005928522679185*thid_OIP.v0zvOeP8dnNFPWQNSu80hwAAAA",
"insightsMetadata": {
"pagesIncludingCount": 1,
"availableSizesCount": 1
},
"imageId": "21423B0D286BB2FCFB3B7090D59EA6F8A54AB7CB",
"accentColor": "963555"
},
. . .