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what is python requests library

Narkw Brahma

Narkw Brahma

• 1 min read

What is Python Requests Library?

Python is a high-level programming language used to build different types of applications. Python requests library is a simple-to-use Python library that allows easy communication with various web services. It enables you to communicate with other applications using HTTP.

The Python requests library is an essential tool for any Python programmers, especially those who are involved in web scraping or data analysis. It is an open-source library that comes with many built-in features, including:

  • HTTP basic and digest authentication
  • Custom headers
  • Cookie support
  • Connection pooling
  • Support for SSL/TLS
  • Supports both synchronous and asynchronous requests

How to Install Python Requests Library?

To install the Python requests library, you can use pip, which is the package installer for Python:

pip install requests

You can verify the installation by typing the following command in your Python console:

import requests
print(requests.__version__)

This should print the version number of the requests library installed on your system.

How to Use Python Requests Library?

Using the Python requests library is simple and straightforward. Here's an example:

import requests

url = 'https://www.example.com'
response = requests.get(url)

print(response.status_code)
print(response.content)

This code snippet sends an HTTP GET request to the specified URL and prints the response status code and content.

The Python requests library also supports other HTTP methods, such as POST, PUT, DELETE, and PATCH.

You can also send parameters and headers with your requests:

import requests

url = 'https://www.example.com'
params = {'key1': 'value1', 'key2': 'value2'}
headers = {'user-agent': 'Mozilla/5.0'}

response = requests.get(url, params=params, headers=headers)

print(response.status_code)
print(response.content)

This code snippet sends an HTTP GET request to the specified URL with query parameters and headers.

The Python requests library is an essential tool for any web developer or data analyst. It simplifies the process of communicating with web services and provides a lot of built-in features that make your life easier.

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