# send_http_request

The `send_http_request` function sends an HTTP request.

## Syntax

    send_http_request( params )

## Arguments

Argument | Description
--- | ---
`params` | (table) Named parameters that configure the HTTP request. The table maps parameter names (string) to parameter values. For information about the parameters that you can set, see the following table.

## Named Parameters

Named Parameter | Description
--- | ---
`url` | (string) The full URL for the HTTP request. If you provide a URL, the other parameters used to build the URL are not used.
`method` | (string) The HTTP method to use (`GET`, `POST`, or `DELETE`). The default is `"GET"`.
`headers` | (table) A table of HTTP headers to send with the request. The table must map header names to values.
`content` | (string) For HTTP POST, the data to be sent with the post.
`site` | (string) The site to which the HTTP request is sent.
`port` | (integer) The port to which the HTTP request is sent. By default, the request is sent to port 80.
`uri` | (string) The URI to request.
`params` | (table) Additional parameters for the request. The table must map parameter names to parameter values.
`section` | (string) The name of a section in the configuration file that contains transport related parameters such as SSL or proxy settings. For a list of the IDOL HTTP Client configuration parameters that you can set in the configuration file, see HTTP Client Parameters.
`options` | (table) A table of HTTP client options, and values, to use for the request. For a list of the IDOL HTTP Client options that you can set in the table, see HTTP Client Parameters.

## Returns

String. The HTTP response.

The `send_http_request` function can throw an exception if the request fails. You can catch an exception by calling `send_http_request` using the Lua function `pcall`.

## Examples

The following example shows how to make a simple request:

    local wikipedia_page = send_http_request(
       {url = "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertext_Transfer_Protocol"} )

The following example shows how to make the same request but catch any exceptions with the Lua `pcall` function:

    local result, response = pcall ( send_http_request,
       {url = "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertext_Transfer_Protocol"} )

When the `send_http_request` function is successful, the `result` variable is `true` and `response` contains the response. If an exception is thrown from `send_http_request`, the `result` variable is `false` and `response` contains the error message.

The following examples demonstrate how to add additional named parameters:

    local google_search = send_http_request(
       {site = "www.google.co.uk", port = 80, uri = "/search",
       params = {q = "http protocol", safe = "active"}} )

    local search = send_http_request(
       {site = "www.site.com", port = 80, uri = "/query",
       params = {text = "http headers", maxresults = "10"}
       headers = { Cache-Control = "no-cache" }} )

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