Mastering cURL: A Comprehensive Guide to Sending DELETE Requests and Differences with wgetcURL and wget are popular command-line tools used by Linux users to interact with web servers. They are versatile and capable of performing various tasks, including Transfer Control Protocol (TCP), file transfers, downloads, and sending HTTP requests.
In this article, we will focus on two aspects: using cURL to send DELETE requests and exploring the differences between cURL and wget.
Using cURL to Send DELETE Requests
Syntax of cURL DELETE command
cURL is a command-line tool that is used to transfer data between a client and a server. It is especially useful when dealing with the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
The syntax of the cURL DELETE command is straightforward. The command starts with ‘curl,’ followed by the URL or endpoint, and then ‘-X DELETE,’ which indicates the type of request being sent.
For instance, if you are using the command line to modify employee data in a database, the command could be:
curl http://localhost:3000/employees/3 -X DELETE
This command deletes the employee with an ID of 3 from the local database.
Setting up a local JSON server
To practice using cURL to send DELETE requests, you need to have a local database. We recommend using JSON server, a npm package manager that creates a simple RESTful API based on a JSON file.
To set up a local server, follow these steps:
1. Install JSON server via npm (npm install -g json-server)
2.
Create a JSON file and save it in a directory of your choice. The file should contain the same structure as the data that you intend to manipulate.
For example, in case of our employee database, it could look like:
{
“employees”: [
{
“id”: 1,
“name”: “John Doe”,
“position”: “CEO”
},
{
“id”: 2,
“name”: “Mary Jane”,
“position”: “CTO”
},
{
“id”: 3,
“name”: “Jane Doe”,
“position”: “COO”
}
]
}
3. Launch JSON server on port 3000 (json-server –watch [path to JSON file] –port 3000).
Now, you can practice sending DELETE requests using cURL in your terminal window.
Sending DELETE request with cURL
Deleting data from your local database using cURL is now easy. With the basics set up, you can start by sending a DELETE request for any of the employee records using the JSON server from your terminal window.
Here is an example using the cURL DELETE command:
curl http://localhost:3000/employees/3 -X DELETE
This command deletes the employee with an ID of 3 from the database.
Differences between cURL and wget
Explanation of cURL’s capabilities
cURL and wget primarily differ in their functionalities and usage. cURL is designed to transfer data between servers and clients via URLs, while wget is used to download files.
cURL is also more versatile and allows for more configurations and customizations than wget. cURL can process data from more protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, FTPS, SCP, SFTP, TFTP, LDAP, and more.
It also offers more functionalities, such as authentication, cookies, custom headers, and encryption. cURL can handle compression, while wget cannot.
Moreover, cURL is easier to use on websites that require submitted input data.
Differences between cURL and wget
The differences between cURL and wget can be summarized by the following factors:
– cURL is mainly designed for data transfer, while wget is designed for downloads. – cURL supports many more protocols than wget.
– cURL offers more functionalities, including authentication, cookies, and encryption. – cURL handles compression better than wget.
– cURL is more versatile and configurable than wget since it allows for more configurations and customizations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the use of cURL is essential for any Linux user interested in managing databases or interacting with web servers. cURL and wget may both be command-line tools, but they have distinct features that differentiate them.
By understanding their differences and capabilities, you can choose the best tool for the task at hand and improve your overall productivity. In this comprehensive guide, we explored how to use cURL to send DELETE requests and the differences between cURL and wget.
We identified the syntax for the cURL DELETE command, set up a local JSON server using npm, and showed how to send DELETE requests using cURL. We also discussed cURL’s versatility, which enables it to support many protocols, handle compression, and provide more functionalities than wget.
In conclusion, mastering cURL is crucial for any Linux user who wishes to manage databases or work with web servers. By understanding cURL’s capabilities and differences with wget, you can improve your productivity and choose the best tool for the task at hand.