Python requests.request Function

The requests.request function in Python’s requests module lets you make HTTP requests. It’s a powerful and flexible way to perform different types of requests like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, etc.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. requests.request Function Syntax
3. Examples
   • Basic Usage
   • Using Different HTTP Methods
   • Sending Data
   • Sending Headers
   • Handling JSON Responses
4. Real-World Use Case
5. Conclusion

Introduction

The requests.request function is part of the requests module, which makes it easy to make HTTP requests in Python. You can use this function to send requests to a web server and get responses.

requests.request Function Syntax

Here’s how you use the requests.request function:

import requests

response = requests.request(method, url, **kwargs)

Parameters:

• method: The HTTP method to use (e.g., ‘GET’, ‘POST’, ‘PUT’, ‘DELETE’, etc.).
• url: The URL for the request.
• **kwargs: Optional arguments to customize the request. Common ones include:
  • params: Dictionary to send in the query string.
  • data: Dictionary to send in the body of the request.
  • json: Dictionary to send as JSON in the body of the request.
  • headers: Dictionary of HTTP headers to send with the request.

Returns:

• A Response object containing the server’s response to the HTTP request.

Examples

Basic Usage

Send a simple GET request to a URL.

import requests

response = requests.request('GET', 'https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1')
print(response.json())

Output:

{'userId': 1, 'id': 1, 'title': 'sunt aut facere repellat provident occaecati excepturi optio reprehenderit', 'body': 'quia et suscipit\nsuscipit recusandae consequuntur expedita et cum\nreprehenderit molestiae ut ut quas totam\nnostrum rerum est autem sunt rem eveniet architecto'}

Using Different HTTP Methods

Send a POST request with some data.

import requests

data = {'title': 'foo', 'body': 'bar', 'userId': 1}
response = requests.request('POST', 'https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts', json=data)
print(response.json())

Output:

{'title': 'foo', 'body': 'bar', 'userId': 1, 'id': 101}

Sending Data

Send data in the body of a POST request.

import requests

data = {'title': 'foo', 'body': 'bar', 'userId': 1}
response = requests.request('POST', 'https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts', json=data)
print(response.json())

Output:

{'title': 'foo', 'body': 'bar', 'userId': 1, 'id': 101}

Sending Headers

Send custom headers with a GET request.

import requests

headers = {'Authorization': 'Bearer your_token'}
response = requests.request('GET', 'https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1', headers=headers)
print(response.json())

Output:

{'userId': 1, 'id': 1, 'title': 'sunt aut facere repellat provident occaecati excepturi optio reprehenderit', 'body': 'quia et suscipit\nsuscipit recusandae consequuntur expedita et cum\nreprehenderit molestiae ut ut quas totam\nnostrum rerum est autem sunt rem eveniet architecto'}

Handling JSON Responses

Send a GET request and parse the JSON response.

import requests

response = requests.request('GET', 'https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1')
data = response.json()
print(data)

Output:

{'userId': 1, 'id': 1, 'title': 'sunt aut facere repellat provident occaecati excepturi optio reprehenderit', 'body': 'quia et suscipit\nsuscipit recusandae consequuntur expedita et cum\nreprehenderit molestiae ut ut quas totam\nnostrum rerum est autem sunt rem eveniet architecto'}

Real-World Use Case

Fetching Data from an API

Fetch data from an API that requires authentication.

import requests

url = 'https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1'
headers = {'Authorization': 'Bearer your_token'}
response = requests.request('GET', url, headers=headers)
data = response.json()
print(data)

Output:

{'userId': 1, 'id': 1, 'title': 'sunt aut facere repellat provident occaecati excepturi optio reprehenderit', 'body': 'quia et suscipit\nsuscipit recusandae consequuntur expedita et cum\nreprehenderit molestiae ut ut quas totam\nnostrum rerum est autem sunt rem eveniet architecto'}

Conclusion

The requests.request function is a flexible way to make HTTP requests in Python. You can use it to send different types of requests, include data, headers, and handle responses. This function makes it easy to interact with web services and APIs.