REST API with cURL

Web Dev

General

Note that, -X = --request

Terminal window
curl -X [method] [options] [URL]
-B: Use ASCII for text and transfer.
-C: Resume an interrupted transfer.
-d: Data for the HTTP POST or PUT commands.
-E: Use a client certificate file and optional password.
-F: Update a HTTP form request from a file.
-H: Pass a custom header to the server.
-K: Use a file for the configuration.
-m: Set a maximum time for the transfer.
-N: Disable buffering.
-o: Write the output to a file.
-s: Run in silent mode.
-u: Add a user name and password for the server.
-v: Verbose mode, for more details.
-X: Specifies the HTTP command to use.
-4: Use Ipv4 addresses.
-6: Use Ipv6 addresses.
-#: Display a progress bar. This is useful for large transfers.

cURL in PHP

Info

We need to install extensions php-curl to use it. Checkthe Official Documentation to learn more

Send Request

// create & initialize a curl session
$curl = curl_init();


/**
* Some code
**/


// close curl resource to free up system resources
// (deletes the variable made by curl_init)
curl_close($curl);
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_URL, 'https://api.github.com/events');
# request header
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array(
    'Content-Type: application/json',
    'User-Agent: cURL'
 ));
$raw = curl_exec($curl);
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_URL, 'https://httpbin.org/post');
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_POST, 1);
# request header
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array(
    'Content-Type: application/json',
 ));
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, '{"key": "value"}');
$raw = curl_exec($curl);

Response

// Raw text
...
$raw = curl_exec($curl);


# JSON
json_decode($raw, true);
$statusCode = curl_getinfo($curl, CURLINFO_HTTP_CODE); // $statusCode = 200

Some examples

GET

Terminal window
curl -X GET '<http://abc:3000/xyz/enpoint?paramOne=1&paramTwo=2>' \
  --header 'clientEmail: abc@xyz.com' \
  --header 'privateKey: XXXX'
  }'

POST

The JSON data must be in the form of '{with the "double quotes" inside}'. This "{single 'quote' inside}" will not work!

Terminal window
curl -X POST '<http://abc:3000/xyz/enpoint?paramOne=1&paramTwo=2>' \
  --header 'clientEmail: abc@xyz.com' \
  --header 'privateKey: LS0tLS1CRUdJTiBQUklWQVRFIEtFWS0tLS0tCk1JSUV2Z0lCQU' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data-raw '{
    "dataMain": {
      "keyOne": "valueOne",
      "keyTwo": 2
    }
  }'

or with JSON file

Terminal window
curl -X POST \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data @.folder/file.json \
  <http://localhost:8080/ui/webapp/conf>

or form data

We have a form that can upload file

<form method="POST" enctype='multipart/form-data' action="upload.cgi">
  <input type=file name=upload>
  <input type=submit name=press value="OK">
</form>
Terminal window
curl --form upload=@/home/user/Pictures/wallpaper.jpg --form press=OK [URL]