EXC | DEV | Documentation

HTTP

Use the HTTP object to make a request using http/https, like calling an API or loading resources from a server.

Dependencies: CORE.

Making a request

Use the functions http.get() and http.post() to initiate a HTTP request.

	var request = http.get(url);

	var request = http.get(url, data);

	var request = http.get(url, data, callback);

	var request = http.get(url, callback);

The only required argument is either a url or a plain object with options. (See "Setting more options".)

Setting more options

You can pass a plain object to the functions http.get() and http.post() to control and configure various options of a request.

This plain object replaces our url parameter and as such it must include the property url in your options object.

	var options = {
    	url: "http://example.com/",
    	headers: {
        	'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
    	}
	}

	var request = http.get(options);

	var request = http.get(options, data);

	var request = http.get(options, data, callback);

	var request = http.get(options, callback);

The following options are available.

Handling the response

The HTTP request provides three ways to handle a response, using events, using a promise interface or by a more traditional callback.

Using events

An http request implements the emitter trait.

	var request = http.post(url, data);
	request.on( "done", function(response){
		console.log("Response Type: %s", response.type );
		console.log(response.data);

		//example reading json data
		console.log("Employee id= " + response.data.empID);

	});

 	request.on("error", function(response){
		console.log("Request failed...");
		console.log("Error: " + response.lastError);
	});

With the HTTP request you register a callback for one of the events published by the request.

The event done is triggered from a successful request. The handler receives a response object as argument. We use the response object to get our data and other useful information.

The event error is triggered for errors and also receives a response object. To check which error occurred we use the response.lastError property.

Remember that request.on()returns a subscription and not the request itself.

Using a callback

When you specify a callback function in your http.get() or http.post() the callback will be executed when the request is completed. This callback is called regardless if the request was successful or had an error.

	var request = http.post(url, data, function(response){
		if(response.lastError !=0 ){
			console.log("request failed...");
			return;
		}

		console.log("Response Type: %s", response.type );
		console.log(response.data);
		//example reading json data
		console.log("Employee id= " + response.data.empID);
	});

Just like events the callback receives a response object as argument.

In your callback you can check the property response.lastError.

Chaining with then

Since a request implements the emitter we can add the thenable trait to chain our response with a then().

var params = {
	name: "Jose",
	code: 201,
};

var url = "http://localhost/echo.php";
var s = http.get(url, params).on(function(response){
	console.log(response);
	//do some thing with our Response
	var value = 10;
	return value;
});

//make it thenable
exc.traits.thenable(s).then(function(value){
	console.loge("Got value %s", value);
});

Response Object

Properties of a response object:

JSON Payloads

A request may send JSON encoded data in the body of a response with the content-type of text/json or application/json.

The JSON payload will be converted to a JS object or array.

An example in PHP will be:

<?php
$data_out = json_encode($data);
header("Content-Type: application/json");
print $data_out;
exit;
?>

JavaScript Payloads

A response may contain plain javascript code to be executed by sending the content-type application/javascript in this case the response.type is set to js.

The code is executed automatically by default. To disable automatic execution set the option opRunJS to false.

The code executed will have access to the plain object ajaxResponse. This object can be used to pass data back to the promise in the response.data property. For example:

	ajaxResponse.empName = "Jose";

If the option opRunJS is false, then response.data has the actual javascript code.

Javascript syntax errors will cause the request to fail.

Receiving arbitrary data

Arbitrary data have a content-type set to a value other than the ones expected above. The response.type is set to blob and the actual string data is in response.data.

JSON Stream

A JSON Steam allows an API to send a large set or continuous JSON data over a single request.

EXC supports Record separator-delimited JSON as a JSON Stream format. See JSON Streaming in Wikipedia.

When a content-type header with application/json-seq is received EXC will poll the connection to process JSON records.

Each time a JSON record is received a "value" event will be triggered with the value as the first argument.

	request.on("value", function(value, response){
		console.log(response);
		console.log("Response Type: %s", response.type );

		console.log("entry %o", value);
	});

NOTE: The "done" event will be executed when the streaming stops. The response.data property will be an empty object for a JSON Stream.

Canceling a request

Use the function request.abort() to cancel a request. An "error" event will be triggered with the response.lastError set to 503.

HTTP Error Codes