2012

Name-Value Pair API Developer Guide August 2012 21
PayPal Name-Value Pair API Basics
Executing NVP API Operations
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Related information:
URL Decoding
List Syntax for Name-Value Pairs
The PayPal API uses a special syntax for NVP fields defined as lists.
The NVP interface to the PayPal API requires a unique name for each field. In the API, lists
are prefixed by L_. To identify an element within the list, use the offset from the beginning of
the list, starting with 0 as the first element. For example, L_DESC0 is the first line of a
description, L_DESC1, is the second line, and so on.
NOTE: Not all lists follow the L_ prefix convention; however, all lists start with 0 as the first
element.
Executing NVP API Operations
You execute a PayPal NVP API operation by submitting an HTTPS POST request to a PayPal
API server, or by using cURL or another mechanism to provide secure access between the
buyer’s browser and the PayPal API server. For example, you might implement a system in
which the buyer’s browser remains a client of your server and your server becomes a client of
the PayPal API server.
Specifying a PayPal Server
You execute a PayPal API operation by submitting the request to a PayPal API server.
To execute a PayPal NVP API operation, submit the request to one of the following end
points:
PHP Encode urlencode()
Decode urldecode()
ColdFusion Encode URLEncodedFormatstring [, charset]
Decode URLDecodeurlEncodedString[, charset])
Server end point Description
https://api-
3t.sandbox.paypal.com/nvp
Sandbox server for use with API signatures; use for testing your
API
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