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python.org requests module

Narkw Brahma

Narkw Brahma

• 2 min read

Python.org Requests Module

As a developer, I have often faced the challenge of sending HTTP requests using Python scripts. Fortunately, Python offers a great solution to this problem in the form of the "requests" module. This module is used for making HTTP requests in Python, and it is quite easy to use. Let's dive into some of its features and how to use it.

Installing the requests module

Before we can use the requests module, we need to install it. This can be easily done using pip, the Python package installer. To install the requests module, simply run the following command:


pip install requests

Sending a GET request

The most common type of HTTP request is the GET request, which is used to retrieve data from a server. Let's see how to send a GET request using the requests module:


import requests

response = requests.get('https://www.python.org')

print(response.text)

In the above code, we first import the requests module. Then, we use the get() method of the requests module to send a GET request to the Python.org website. The get() method returns a Response object which contains the server's response to our request. We can then access the content of the response using the text attribute of the Response object.

Sending other types of requests

The requests module can also be used to send other types of HTTP requests, such as POST, PUT, DELETE, etc. To send a POST request, for example, we can use the post() method:


import requests

url = 'http://httpbin.org/post'
data = {'key1': 'value1', 'key2': 'value2'}

response = requests.post(url, data=data)

print(response.text)

In the above code, we first define the URL of the server we want to send our request to, as well as the data we want to send with our request. We then use the post() method of the requests module to send a POST request to the server. The post() method takes two arguments: the URL and the data to be sent with the request. The server's response is again stored in a Response object, which we can access using the text attribute.

Handling errors and exceptions

When sending HTTP requests, it is important to handle errors and exceptions properly. The requests module provides several ways of doing this. One way is to use the status_code attribute of the Response object, which contains the HTTP status code returned by the server. For example:


import requests

response = requests.get('https://www.python.org')

if response.status_code == 200:
    print('Request successful')
else:
    print('Request failed')

In the above code, we check the status_code attribute of the Response object to see if the request was successful or not. If the status code is 200, it means that the request was successful (since 200 is the HTTP status code for "OK"). If the status code is something other than 200, it means that there was an error with our request.

Conclusion

The requests module is an essential tool for any Python developer who needs to send HTTP requests. With its simple and easy-to-use API, it makes sending requests a breeze. Whether you need to retrieve data from a server or send data to a server, the requests module has got you covered.

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