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curl call using python

Narkw Brahma

Narkw Brahma

• 1 min read

Curl Call using Python

As a programmer, I have had to deal with API calls quite frequently. One of the most popular ways to make API calls is using cURL. cURL is a command-line tool that allows the user to transfer data from or to a server using various protocols. However, using cURL from the command line can be a bit tedious and hence, here's how to use cURL calls using Python.

Method 1: Using requests library

The easiest way to make cURL calls using Python is by using the requests library. The requests library is a Python library that allows you to send HTTP/1.1 requests extremely easily. You can install this library by running the following command in your terminal:

pip install requests

Once you have installed the requests library, you can use it to make HTTP requests like so:

import requests

url = 'https://example.com/api/endpoint'
headers = {'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN'}
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)

print(response.json())

In the above example, we are making a GET request to an API endpoint and passing an Authorization header with a Bearer token. We then print the response content in JSON format.

Method 2: Using pycurl library

If you prefer to use the actual cURL library instead of requests, you can use the pycurl library. The pycurl library is a Python interface to libcurl, which is a multiprotocol file transfer library. You can install this library by running the following command in your terminal:

pip install pycurl

Here's an example of how to use the pycurl library:

import pycurl

url = 'https://example.com/api/endpoint'
headers = ['Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN']
c = pycurl.Curl()

c.setopt(pycurl.URL, url)
c.setopt(pycurl.HTTPHEADER, headers)
c.setopt(pycurl.SSL_VERIFYPEER, 0)
c.setopt(pycurl.SSL_VERIFYHOST, 0)

c.perform()
c.close()

In the above example, we are making a GET request to an API endpoint and passing an Authorization header with a Bearer token. We then set SSL_VERIFYPEER and SSL_VERIFYHOST to 0 to skip SSL verification. Finally, we perform the request and close the connection.

Conclusion

Both of these methods are great ways to make cURL calls using Python. The requests library is generally easier to use, but the pycurl library gives you more control over the request.

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