NodeJS handy http[s] client

Handy-http module provides simple and flexible interface for NodeJS native http.request.

Description

This class is very lightweight and handful if you need to make various types of http requests with just a few lines of code. In my projects it lets me to avoid copy-pasting and makes my code more readable and maintainable. Class provides 'open' method that takes a connection object as the first param and a callback function as the second one. It returns the request object that can be listened to all kinds of events from original NodeJS http.ClientRequest. Main features:

• accepts various types of data to send from plain javascript objects to NodeJS Buffer and ReadableStream.
• is able to send multiple files with 'multipart/form-data' Content-Type header
• returns parsed JSON object if server respond with properly Content-Type header
• supports proxy requests
• provides ability to extend request headers
• supports https protocol

Example

var HTTPClient = require('handy-http'),
    client = new HTTPCLient(),
    onResponse = function (err, res) {
        console.log(err || res);
    };

/**
 * The simplest case is the 'GET' request'.
 */
client.open('http://_url_', onResponse);

// It is shortcut for
client.open({ url: 'http://_url_' }, onResponse);

/**
 * You can combine url params in querystring with a hash of additional params
 * It's not nessesary urlencode your params first, it will be done for you.
 */
client.open({
    url: 'http://_url_?one=1&two=2',
    data: { three: 3, more: '4 and 5' }
}, onResponse);
// Resulting URL will look like http://_url_?one=1&two=2&three=3&more=4%20and%205'

/**
 * Your should note 'POST' or any connection method if you want that type of request.
 */
client.open({
    url: 'http://_url_',
    method: 'POST',
    data: { param1: 'value1', param2: 'value2' }
}, onResponse);

/**
 * You can send a file or any binary data within request using NodeJS Buffer as data value.
 * You can also use NodeJS <a href="http://nodejs.org/api/stream.html">Stream-like</a> object, for example <a href="http://nodejs.org/api/fs.html#fs_class_fs_readstream">fs.ReadStream</a>
 * Stream will be sent by chunks with 'Transfer-Encoding: chunked' HTTP-header
 */
var fileStream = fs.createReadStream('_path_to_file_'),
    fileBuffer = fs.readFileSync('_path_to_file_');

client.open({
    url: 'http://_url_',
    method: 'POST',
    data: fileBuffer,
    // data: fileStream // wil be sended with 'Transfer-Encoding: chunked' HTTP-header,
    headers: {
        'content-type': 'application/octet-stream'
    }
}, onResponse);

/**
 * You can send some files and additional data with 'multipart/form-data' Content-Type header.
 */
client.open({
    url: 'http://_url_',
    method: 'POST',
    data: { param1: 'value1', param2: 'value2' },
    files: [
        { fieldname: 'fileField1', name: 'test.png', type: 'image/png', value: file1Buffer },
        { fieldname: 'fileField2', name: 'test.jpg', type: 'image/jpeg', value: file2Buffer }
    ],
    headers {
        'content-type': 'multipart/form-data'
    }
}, onResponse);

/**
 * You can proxy your request.
 */
client.open({
    url: 'http://_url_',
    method: 'POST',
    data: { param1: 'value1', param2: 'value2' },
    proxy: {
        host: '_proxy_host_',
        port: '_proxy_port_'
    }
}, onResponse);

/**
 * If you need a lower level of manipulation you can still listen to all events provided by native NodeJS <a href="http://nodejs.org/api/http.html#http_class_http_clientrequest">http.ClientRequest</a>.
 */
var request = client.open(...);

request.on('socket', function (socket) {
    ...
});

// You can close connection if you need it.
request.close();