python requests module vs urllib

Python Requests Module vs Urllib

Python programming language has built-in libraries for making HTTP requests. The two most commonly used libraries are the Requests module and the urllib library. Although both of these libraries can be used to send HTTP requests, they have some differences in terms of features, simplicity, and ease of use.

Requests Module

The requests module is a third-party library built on top of urllib3. It provides a high-level interface for making HTTP requests that is simple and easy to use. With the requests module, you can easily send HTTP/1.1 requests using Python. This module also allows you to send data in different formats (such as JSON, XML, etc.) easily.

import requests

url = 'https://api.github.com'
response = requests.get(url)
print(response.status_code)

Urllib Library

The urllib library is a built-in Python library that provides several modules for working with URLs. The modules in the urllib library can be used for opening URLs, reading data from URLs, and sending data to URLs. The urllib library is a bit more complex than the requests module, but it provides more flexibility and control over the HTTP requests.

import urllib.request

url = 'https://api.github.com'
req = urllib.request.urlopen(url)
print(req.status)

Which One To Use

The choice of using the requests module or the urllib library depends on your requirements. If you are looking for a higher-level interface and simplified request handling, then the requests module is a good choice. On the other hand, if you need more control over the request and response handling, then the urllib library is a better choice. Additionally, if you are working on a project that already uses the requests module, then it makes sense to stick with it for consistency.