Frontend {menu:} EXC | DEV | Documentation

HTTP

This topic applies to the Front-End framework.

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 basic GET or POST request ## {#makerequest}

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".)

Arguments	Description
url	String with a valid URL. A url parameter may be replaced with the options argument.
options	A plain object with configuration options.
data	Optional A URL encoded string or a plain object (key value pairs)
callback	Optional A function called when the request is completed. Is called for both, success and errors. See "Using the callback".

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.

Option	Description
url	Required String with a valid URL.
headers	A plain object with headers. "POST" request set the Content-Type header to application/x-www-form-urlencoded by default.
opRunJS	A boolean that indicates if javascript code received with the content-type of application/javascript is executed automatically. Default is true. See "Javascript Payloads".
timeout	The number of milliseconds a request can take before automatically being terminated. The default value is 0, which means there is no timeout.
mimeType	Overrides the MIME type returned by the server.
withCredentials	A Boolean that indicates whether or not cross-site Access-Control requests should be made using credentials such as cookies, authorization headers or TLS client certificates. Setting withCredentials has no effect on same-site requests. (Source MDN)

## Handling the response ## {#handleresp}

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

## Using events ## {#useevents}

	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.

## Using a promise ## {#usepromise}

In addition of using events the HTTP request provides a PROMISE interface with a then() and catch() method.

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

var url = "http://localhost/echo.php";
http.get(url, params).then(function(response){
	console.log(response);
});

## Using a callback ## {#usecallback}

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.

## Response Object ## {#response}

Properties of a response object:

Property	Description
data	The actual payload. It may be undefined, an empty string, a string, an object, or an array.
type	A string indicating the type of payload received. A "json" type means that your data is an object or array. A "blob" type means you got text or binary data specific to your request. A type of "js" means that the payload is actual javascript code.
status	An integer with the HTTP response status.
url	A string of the final URL obtained after any redirects.
lastError	An integer with an error code. Its value is zero for no errors.

## JSON Payloads ## {#jsonpayload}

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 ## {#jspayload}

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. Set the option opRunJS to disable automatic execution.

The code executed exposed the plain object ajaxResponse which 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 ## {#arbitrarydata}

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 ## {#jsonstream}

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 JSON records are received a "jsonEntries" event will be triggered.

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

		console.log("entries %o", entries); //array or records...
		for(var i in entries){
			var entry =  entries[i];
		}
	});

The entries argument of the event handler is an array of the JSON objects received.

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 ## {#cancel}

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

Code	Description
501	Request time out.
502	An unspecified XHR error.
503	Request aborted or interrupted.
504	The HTTP status of the response is not a 200.
510	Access forbidden, HTTP Status 403.
511	The resource was not found, HTTP Status 404.
520	Invalid JSON, unable to parse JSON.
521	Invalid javascript code, syntax error or runtime error.