# Package com.google.gwt.http.client

Provides the client-side classes and interfaces for making HTTP requests and processing the associated responses.

See: Description

- Interface Summary
  Interface | Description
  --- | ---
  RequestCallback | The primary interface a caller must implement to receive a response to a `Request`.

- Class Summary
  Class | Description
  --- | ---
  Header | Class for describing an HTTP header.
  Request | An HTTP request that is waiting for a response.
  Request.RequestImpl | Native implementation associated with `Request`.
  Request.RequestImplIE8And9 | Special `Request.RequestImpl` for IE8, IE9 to work around some IE specialities.
  RequestBuilder | Builder for constructing `Request` objects.
  RequestBuilder.Method | HTTP request method constants.
  Response | Wrapper which provides access to the components of an HTTP response.
  ResponseImpl | A `Response` implementation based on a `XMLHttpRequest`.
  StringValidator | Utility class for validating strings.
  URL | Utility class for the encoding and decoding URLs in their entirety or by their individual components.
  UrlBuilder | Utility class to build a URL from components.

- Exception Summary
  Exception | Description
  --- | ---
  RequestException | RequestException is the superclass for the HTTP request related exceptions.
  RequestPermissionException | Exception thrown when the `RequestBuilder` attempts to make a request to a URL which violates the Same-Origin Security Policy.
  RequestTimeoutException | Thrown to indicate that an HTTP request has timed out.

## Package com.google.gwt.http.client Description

Provides the client-side classes and interfaces for making HTTP requests and processing the associated responses.

Most applications will be interested in the `Request`, `RequestBuilder`, `RequestCallback` and `Response` classes.

## Caveats

### Same-Origin Security Policy

Modern web browsers restrict client-side scripts from accessing items outside of their source origin. This means that a script loaded from `www.foo.com` cannot access content from `www.bar.com`. For more details please see, Same-Origin Security Policy.

### Pending Request Limit

Modern web browsers are limited to having only two HTTP requests outstanding at any one time. If your server experiences an error that prevents it from sending a response, it can tie up your outstanding requests. If you are concerned about this, you can always set timeouts for the request via `RequestBuilder.setTimeoutMillis(int)`.

### Required Module

Modules that use the classes and interfaces in this package should inherit the `com.google.gwt.http.HTTP` module.

>     <module>
>       <!-- other inherited modules, such as com.google.gwt.user.User -->
>       <inherits name="com.google.gwt.http.HTTP"/>
>       <!-- additional module settings -->
>     </module>

## Quick Howto's

### How should I write a RequestCallback handler class?

The following code shows how a `RequestCallback` instance should be written.

>     public class RequestCallbackExample implements RequestCallback {

>       private static final int STATUS_CODE_OK = 200;

>       public void onError(Request request, Throwable exception) {
>         if (exception instanceof RequestTimeoutException) {
>           // handle a request timeout
>         } else {
>           // handle other request errors
>         }
>       }

>       public void onResponseReceived(Request request, Response response) {
>         if (STATUS_CODE_OK == response.getStatusCode()) {
>           // handle OK response from the server
>         } else {
>           // handle non-OK response from the server
>         }
>       }
>     }

### How do I make a GET request?

The following example demonstrates how to perform an HTTP GET request.

>     public class GetExample implements EntryPoint {
>       public static final int STATUS_CODE_OK = 200;

>       public static void doGet(String url) {
>         RequestBuilder builder = new RequestBuilder(RequestBuilder.GET, url);

>         try {
>           Request response = builder.sendRequest(null, new RequestCallback() {
>             public void onError(Request request, Throwable exception) {
>               // Code omitted for clarity
>             }

>             public void onResponseReceived(Request request, Response response) {
>               // Code omitted for clarity
>             }
>           });
>         } catch (RequestException e) {
>           // Code omitted for clarity
>         }
>       }

>       public void onModuleLoad() {
>         doGet("/");
>       }
>     }

### How do I make a POST request?

The following example demonstrates how to perform an HTTP POST request.

>     public class PostExample {
>       public static void doPost(String url, String postData) {
>         RequestBuilder builder = new RequestBuilder(RequestBuilder.POST, url);

>         try {
>           builder.setHeader("Content-Type", "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
>           Request response = builder.sendRequest(postData, new RequestCallback() {

>             public void onError(Request request, Throwable exception) {
>               // code omitted for clarity
>             }

>             public void onResponseReceived(Request request, Response response) {
>               // code omitted for clarity
>             }
>           });
>         } catch (RequestException e) {
>           Window.alert("Failed to send the request: " + e.getMessage());
>         }
>       }

>       public void onModuleLoad() {
>         doPost("/", "Hello World!");
>       }
>     }

### How do I use request timeouts?

The following example demonstrates how to use the timeout feature.

>     public class TimeoutExample implements EntryPoint {
>       public static void doGetWithTimeout(String url) {
>         RequestBuilder builder = new RequestBuilder(RequestBuilder.GET, url);

>         try {
>           /*
>            * wait 2000 milliseconds for the request to complete
>            */
>           builder.setTimeoutMillis(2000);

>           Request response = builder.sendRequest(null, new RequestCallback() {
>             public void onError(Request request, Throwable exception) {
>               if (exception instanceof RequestTimeoutException) {
>                 // handle a request timeout
>               } else {
>                 // handle other request errors
>               }
>             }

>             public void onResponseReceived(Request request, Response response) {
>               // code omitted for clarity
>             }
>           });
>         } catch (RequestException e) {
>           Window.alert("Failed to send the request: " + e.getMessage());
>         }
>       }

>       public void onModuleLoad() {
>         doGetWithTimeout("/");
>       }
>     }

### How do I construct a string for use in a query or POST body?

The following example demonstrates how to build a x-www-form-urlencoded string that can be used as a query string or as the body of a POST request.

>     public class QueryAndFormDataExample {

>       public static interface Entry {
>         String getName();
>         String getValue();
>       }

>       public static String buildQueryString(Entry[] queryEntries) {
>         StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();

>         for (int i = 0, n = queryEntries.length; i < n; ++i) {
>           Entry queryEntry = queryEntries[i];

>           if (i > 0) {
>             sb.append("&");
>           }

>           // encode the characters in the name
>           String encodedName = URL.encodeQueryString(queryEntry.getName());
>           sb.append(encodedName);

>           sb.append("=");

>           // encode the characters in the value
>           String encodedValue = URL.encodeQueryString(queryEntry.getValue());
>           sb.append(encodedValue);
>         }

>         return sb.toString();
>       }
>     }

### How can I make a `RequestBuilder` send a request other than GET or POST?

The following example demonstrates how to allow an HTTP request other than a GET or a POST to be made. Beware: if you plan on supporting Safari, you cannot use this scheme.

>     public class RequestBuilderForAnyHTTPMethodTypeExample extends RequestBuilder {

>       /**
>        * Constructor that allows a developer to override the HTTP method
>        * restrictions imposed by the RequestBuilder class.  Note if you override the
>        * RequestBuilder's HTTP method restrictions in this manner, your application
>        * may not work correctly on Safari browsers.
>        *
>        * @param httpMethod any non-null, non-empty string is considered valid
>        * @param url any non-null, non-empty string is considered valid
>        *
>        * @throws IllegalArgumentException if httpMethod or url are empty
>        * @throws NullPointerException if httpMethod or url are null
>        */
>       public RequestBuilderForAnyHTTPMethodTypeExample(String httpMethod, String url) {
>         super(httpMethod, url);
>       }
>     }