HTTP client

What ??

It allows the user to code a request and execute using http protocol over tcp/ip and hit a http server (which is open to receiving a request and responds). It will get a response from the server, and the code and handle this anyway it likes.

• https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-HTTP-client-and-HTTP-server

Use??

• It is used if program needs to send a request to a third party server (ie some api) and does something with the response.

• In testing a server, via integration test. The app runs a server, and the test need to send a request, to check the request is processed correctly by the server.

NOTE: Using a browser or postman can do this for us, if we want to do manual requests. But we will only get a response and not be able to do anything with this.

Using libraries

• Common library to use is https://hc.apache.org/httpcomponents-client-ga/

Using socket client

Links

• https://hc.apache.org/httpcomponents-client-ga/quickstart.html

• https://self-learning-java-tutorial.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/apache-http-client-tutorial.html

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