yahc

Yet Another Http Client

Yet Another Http Client is a small client side HTTP request library. The purpose is to permit to make http requests with simplicity.

Installation

If you want use yahc you have to install it. There are two methods to do that:

In your package.json add the following item:

"yahc": "version"

then digit:

npm install

Example:

"yahc": "*" for the latest version
"yahc": "1.0.0" for the version 1.0.0

OR

launch this command:

npm install yahc --save

Simple use

To start using yahc you have to import it in you project. To make a HTTP request use one of its methods .get(), .post(), put() or delete(). You can understand that only GET, POST, PUT, DELETE HTTP VERBS are permitted.

Example

'use strict';

const HttpClient = require('yahc');

HttpClient.get({
  url: "YOUR URL",
  headers: {},
  qs: {},
  encType: HttpClient.ENC_TYPES.X_WWW_FORM_URLENCODED,
  isJson: false,
  timeout: HttpClient.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
})
.then((response) => {
  // Do something with response
  console.log(response);
})
.catch((err) => {
  // Do something with error response
  console.error(err);
});

Headers

Every method of yahc allows you to set the request's header. In particular every method take in input an objet parameter headers that is an object with a key - value representation of the request's header.

Example:

'use strict';

const HttpClient = require('yahc');

HttpClient.get({
  url: "YOUR URL",
  // HERE YOUR KEY VALUE PAIRS FOR headers
  headers: {
    Authorization: "Basic "+ "myUsername:myPassword".toString('base64')
  },
  qs: {},
  encType: HttpClient.ENC_TYPES.X_WWW_FORM_URLENCODED,
  isJson: false,
  timeout: HttpClient.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
})
.then((response) => {
  // Do something with response
  console.log(response);
})
.catch((err) => {
  // Do something with error response
  console.error(err);
});

encType

Every method of yahc has an encType parameter which represent the encoding type used by yahc to send data to the server. In general there are two possible choices for encType:

• application/x-www-form-urlencoded - GET - POST - PUT - DELETE
• multipart/form-data - POST - PUT

The library exposes these values using constants, so you can set it using these constants as in the example reported below:

Example

'use strict';

const HttpClient = require('yahc');

// get application/x-www-form-urlencoded
let urlencode = HttpClient.ENC_TYPES.X_WWW_FORM_URLENCODED;

// get multipart/form-data
let formdata = HttpClient.ENC_TYPES.MULTIPART_FORM_DATA;

// use urlencode or formdata to make request using yahc
HttpClient.get({
  url: "YOUR URL",
  headers: {},
  qs: {},
  encType: urlencode,
  isJson: false,
  timeout: HttpClient.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
})
.then((response) => {
  // Do something with response
  console.log(response);
})
.catch((err) => {
  // Do something with error response
  console.error(err);
});

Timeout

Sometimes the server for which you make a request could not be available so after some time you get a timeout error from the server stating it's not able to give you a valid response after the specified time. Default timeout parameter is set to 15000 ms, but you're free to change that value. yahc exposes the value of default timeout through the constant DEFAULT_TIMEOUT. Remember that the value of timeout for the request must be expressed in milliseconds (ms).

Example

'use strict';

const HttpClient = require('yahc');

// get default timeout
let timeout = HttpClient.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT;

// you can set your preferred timeout in ms
timeout = 5000;

// use timeout to  make request using yahc
HttpClient.get({
  url: "YOUR URL",
  headers: {},
  qs: {},
  encType: urlencode,
  isJson: false,
  timeout: timeout
})
.then((response) => {
  // Do something with response
  console.log(response);
})
.catch((err) => {
  // Do something with error response
  console.error(err);
});

Querystring

Every method of yahc allows you to set querystring of the request. In particular, every method take in input an objet parameter qs that is an object with a key - value representation of the querystring for the request.

Example

'use strict';

const HttpClient = require('yahc');

HttpClient.get({
  url: "YOUR URL",
  headers: {},
  // HERE YOUR KEY VALUE PAIRS FOR quesrystring
  qs: {
    q: "yahc"
  },
  encType: HttpClient.ENC_TYPES.X_WWW_FORM_URLENCODED,
  isJson: false,
  timeout: HttpClient.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
})
.then((response) => {
  // Do something with response
  console.log(response);
})
.catch((err) => {
  // Do something with error response
  console.error(err);
});

isJson

The parameter isJson is common for all methods of yahc and if set to true the value "Content-type: application/json" will be added to the request's header and the server response's body will be parsed as JSON.

Response

When making request you obtain a response from the server. Tha response returns the requested resource or an error. yahc structures the object response in three parts:

• haders - Contains the headers of the server response
• body - Contains the body of the server response
• statusCode - Represent the HTTP status code for the server response

Example

'use strict';

const HttpClient = require('yahc');

// get default timeout
let timeout = HttpClient.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT;

// you can set your preferred timeout in ms
timeout = 5000;

// use timeout to  make request using yahc
HttpClient.get({
  url: "YOUR URL",
  headers: {},
  qs: {},
  encType: urlencode,
  isJson: true,
  timeout: timeout
})
.then((response) => {
  // Do something with response
  console.log(response);
  // OUTPUT:
  /*
  {
    headers: {
      'x-powered-by': 'Express',
      'content-type': 'application/json; charset=utf-8',
      'content-length': '53',
      etag: 'W/"35-qoJ3nLnfyzCPwauBZcdTpQ"',
      date: 'Mon, 03 Oct 2016 00:54:28 GMT',
      connection: 'close'
    },
    body: { message: 'Come up to meet you, tell you I\'m sorry' },
    statusCode: 200
  }
  */
})
.catch((err) => {
  // Do something with error response
  console.error(err);
});

If the server response contains one of the HTTP error (for more info see: HTTP ERRORS) yahc throws a ResponseError as an object that represents the error and internally contains the server response.

Example

'use strict';

const HttpClient = require('yahc');

// get default timeout
let timeout = HttpClient.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT;

// you can set your preferred timeout in ms
timeout = 5000;

// use timeout to  make request using yahc
HttpClient.get({
  url: "YOUR URL",
  headers: {},
  qs: {},
  encType: urlencode,
  isJson: true,
  timeout: timeout
})
.then((response) => {
  // Do something with response
  console.log(response);
})
.catch((err) => {
  // Do something with error response
  console.error(err.response);
  console.error(err.message);
  // OUTPUT:
  /*
  {
    headers: {
      'x-powered-by': 'Express',
      'content-type': 'application/json; charset=utf-8',
      'content-length': '53',
      etag: 'W/"35-qoJ3nLnfyzCPwauBZcdTpQ"',
      date: 'Mon, 03 Oct 2016 00:54:28 GMT',
      connection: 'close'
    },
    body: { message: 'Come up to meet you, tell you I\'m sorry' },
    statusCode: 200
  }
  */
});

Make request

Yet Another Http Client allows to make HTTP requests with simplicity. The supported HTTP verbs are:

• GET - .get() method
• POST - .post() method
• PUT - .put() method
• DELETE - .delete() method

GET

HTTP GET request is very simple with yahc, you just need to call the method get and set the following parameters:

• url - Represents the url / uri of the requested resource.
• headers - Headers for the request. Object that contains key-value for the headers.
• qs - Querystring for the reuqest. Object that contains key-value for the querystring.
• encType - Encoding for the request. Only application/x-www-form-urlencoded is allowed for get request.
• isJson - true / false. If set to true, the value "Content-type: application/json" will be added to the request header and the server body response will be parsed as JSON.
• timeout - Number of milliseconds, after that the client returns a timeout error.

Example

'use strict';

const HttpClient = require('yahc');

// use timeout to  make request using yahc
HttpClient.get({
  url: "YOUR URL",
  headers: {
    Authorization: "Basic "+ "myUsername:myPassword".toString('base64')
  },
  qs: {
    q: "http client"
  },
  encType: HttpClient.X_WWW_FORM_URLENCODED,
  isJson: true,
  timeout: 7000
})
.then((response) => {
  // Do something with response
  console.log(response);
})
.catch((err) => {
  // Do something with error response
  console.error(err);
});

POST e PUT

HTTP POST or PUT requests are very simple with yahc, you just need to call the method post or put and set the following parameters:

• url - Represents the url / uri of the requested resource.
• headers - Headers for the request. Object that contains key-value for the headers.
• qs - Querystring for the reuqest. Object that contains key-value for the querystring.
• encType - Encoding for the request.
• isJson - true / false. If set to true, the value "Content-type: application/json" will be added to the request header and the server body response will be parsed as JSON.
• body - The body for the http request. It's an object that contains key-value for the body.
• timeout - Number of milliseconds, after that the client returns a timeout error.

Example

'use strict';

const HttpClient = require('yahc');

// use timeout to  make request using yahc
HttpClient.post({
  url: "YOUR URL",
  headers: {
    Authorization: "Basic "+ "myUsername:myPassword".toString('base64')
  },
  qs: {
    q: "http client"
  },
  encType: HttpClient.X_WWW_FORM_URLENCODED,
  isJson: true,
  timeout: 7000,
  body: {
    ping: "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"
  }
})
.then((response) => {
  // Do something with response
  console.log(response);
})
.catch((err) => {
  // Do something with error response
  console.error(err);
});

POST e PUT (Upload file)

In case you want to upload one or more file you need to call post or put method with encType set to multipart/form-data and the parameter files that represents an array of files or file representations that you want to upload on the server. Post and put parameters in case of upload:

• url - Represents the url / uri of the requested resource.
• headers - Headers for the request. Object that contain key-value for the headers.
• qs - Querystring for the reuqest. Object that contains key-value for the querystring.
• encType - Encoding for the request. In case of file upload it has to be set to multpart/form-data.
• isJson - true / false. If set to true, the value "Content-type: application/json" will be added to the request header and the server body response will be parsed as JSON.
• body - The body for the HTTP request. It's an object that contains key-value for the body.
• timeout - Number of milliseconds, after that the client returns a timeout error.
• files - This parameter represents the list of file you want to upload. It is an array and its element must be a Buffer, a Readable stream or an object with this form {name: "myFieldName", file: "Buffer or Readable stream}.

Example

let myBody = {
  name: "yahc",
  description: "Yet Another Http Client",
  version: "1.0.0"
};
let uploadFile = fs.createReadStream(__dirname +'YOUR PATH');
HttpClient.post({
  url: "YOUR URL",
  headers: {},
  qs: {},
  encType: HttpClient.ENC_TYPES.MULTIPART_FORM_DATA,
  isJson: true,
  body: myBody,
  timeout: HttpClient.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT,
  files: [uploadFile, uploadFile, {name: "myFile", file: uploadFile}]
})
.then((response) => {
  // Do something with response
  console.log(response);
})
.catch((err) => {
  // Do something with error response
  console.error(err);
});

DELETE

HTTP DELETE request is very simple with yahc, you just need to call the method delete and set the following parameters:

• url - Represents the url / uri of the requested resource.
• headers - Headers for the request. Object that contains key-value for the headers.
• qs - Querystring for the reuqest. Object that contains key-value for the querystring.
• encType - Encoding for the request. Only application/x-www-form-urlencoded is allowed for get request.
• isJson - true / false. If set to true, the value "Content-type: application/json" will be added to the request header and the server body response will be parsed as JSON.
• body - The body for the HTTP request. It's an object that contains key-value for the body.
• timeout - Number of milliseconds after that the client returns a timeout error.

Example

'use strict';

const HttpClient = require('yahc');

// use timeout to  make request using yahc
HttpClient.delete({
  url: "YOUR URL",
  headers: {
    Authorization: "Basic "+ "myUsername:myPassword".toString('base64')
  },
  qs: {
    q: "http client"
  },
  encType: HttpClient.X_WWW_FORM_URLENCODED,
  isJson: true,
  body: {
    ping: "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"
  }
  timeout: 7000
})
.then((response) => {
  // Do something with response
  console.log(response);
})
.catch((err) => {
  // Do something with error response
  console.error(err);
});