The http_helper is a powerful yet easy-to-use HTTP networking library for Dart, designed to encapsulate the complexities of making HTTP requests in client applications.
This library provides a set of high-level API functions to send HTTP requests and receive responses. It wraps around the lower-level functionality of the http library, providing a simplified and more user-friendly interface for developers.
Key Features:
-
Simplified Request Methods: The package provides a simple way to send HTTP requests with any HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE).
-
HTTP Error Handling: The
http_helperis equipped with comprehensive error handling features to catch and handle HTTP errors effectively. -
Timeouts: The library includes built-in HTTP request timeout functionality to prevent requests from hanging indefinitely.
-
Middleware: It offers middleware functions that can be set to handle different stages of an HTTP request: onBeforeSend, onAfterSend, onTimeout to name a few.
-
Default Headers and Parameters: The library supports setting of default headers and parameters for HTTP requests, providing more convenience for developers who need to make many similar requests.
-
Flexible Response Handling: The library allows users to specify how to convert HTTP responses to their desired data format.
The http_helper is ideal for Dart developers who want to simplify their HTTP networking code while retaining full control over the request and response handling.
Whether you're building a large-scale client application, or you just need to make a few HTTP requests in a small project, the http_helper can help streamline your networking code and make your development process smoother and more efficient.
import 'package:http_helper/http_helper.dart';
import 'my_model.dart';
void main() async {
// Define the URL and path
String url = 'jsonplaceholder.typicode.com';
String path = '/posts/1';
// Define your converter that will be used to convert the response to a MyModel object
myToJsonConverter(response) {
return MyModel.fromJson(response);
}
// Define the request
final request = HttpRequest(
url: url,
path: path,
method: HttpRequestMethod.get,
converter: myToJsonConverter,
);
// Make the request
var response = await HttpHelper.sendRequest<MyModel>(request);
print(response.statusCode);
// Print the response data
if (response.isSuccess) {
print(response.data.toString());
} else {
// Note: when `response.isSuccess` is false, `error` and `message` will never be null, so it is save to access them!
print(response.error!.message!);
}
}import 'package:http_helper/http_helper.dart';
import 'my_model.dart';
void main() async {
// Define the URL and path
String url = 'jsonplaceholder.typicode.com';
String path = '/posts';
// Define your converter that will be used to convert the response to a MyModel object
myToJsonConverter(response) {
var responseList = response as List;
var mappedList = responseList
.map((e) =>
e == null ? null : MyModel.fromJson(e as Map<String, dynamic>))
.toList();
var withoutNulls = List<MyModel>.from(mappedList.where((e) => e != null));
return withoutNulls;
}
// Define the request
final request = HttpRequest(
url: url,
path: path,
method: HttpRequestMethod.get,
converter: myToJsonConverter,
);
// Make the request
var response = await HttpHelper.sendRequest<List<MyModel>>(request);
print(response.statusCode);
// Print the response data
if (response.isSuccess) {
print(response.data.toString());
} else {
// Note: when `response.isSuccess` is false, `error` and `message` will never be null, so it is save to access them!
print(response.error!.message!);
}
}import 'package:http_helper/http_helper.dart';
import 'my_model.dart';
void main() async {
// Define the URL and path
String url = 'jsonplaceholder.typicode.com';
String path = '/posts';
Map<String, String> headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer your_token_here"};
Map<String, dynamic> queryParams = {
"userId": 1,
"title": "Test Title",
"body": "Test Body"
};
// Define your converter that will be used to convert the response to a MyModel object
myToJsonConverter(response) {
return MyModel.fromJson(response);
}
// Define the request
final request = HttpRequest(
url: url,
path: path,
method: HttpRequestMethod.post,
converter: myToJsonConverter,
queryParameters: queryParams,
headers: headers,
);
// Make the request
var response = await HttpHelper.sendRequest<MyModel>(request);
print(response.statusCode);
// Print the response data
if (response.isSuccess) {
print(response.data.toString());
} else {
// Note: when `response.isSuccess` is false, `error` and `message` will never be null, so it is save to access them!
print(response.error!.message!);
}
}import 'package:http_helper/http_helper.dart';
import 'my_model.dart';
void main() async {
// Define the URL and path
String url = 'jsonplaceholder.typicode.com';
String path = '/posts';
// Define the body
final body = """
{
"userId": 1,
"id": 10111,
"title": "foo",
"body": "bar"
}
""";
// Define your converter that will be used to convert the response to a MyModel object
myToJsonConverter(response) {
return MyModel.fromJson(response);
}
// Define the request
final request = HttpRequest(
url: url,
path: path,
method: HttpRequestMethod.post,
converter: myToJsonConverter,
body: body,
);
// Make the request
var response = await HttpHelper.sendRequest<MyModel>(request);
print(response.statusCode);
// Print the response data
if (response.isSuccess) {
print(response.data.toString());
} else {
// Note: when `response.isSuccess` is false, `error` and `message` will never be null, so it is save to access them!
print(response.error!.message!);
}
}import 'package:http_helper/http_helper.dart';
import 'my_model.dart';
void main() async {
HttpHelper.defaultHeaders = {"App-Language": "en"};
HttpHelper.timeoutDurationSeconds = 5;
// Set middleware functions
HttpHelper.onBeforeSend = (request) {
// Perform any pre-send logic here
print(
"Request ${request.method.name.toUpperCase()} is about to be sent: ${request.url}${request.path}");
// Return an HttpError here if your pre-send logic determined that the request should not be sent
return null;
};
HttpHelper.onAfterSend = (request, response) {
print("Request has been sent, received response: ${response.statusCode}");
};
HttpHelper.onException = (request, exception) {
print("An exception occurred: ${exception.toString()}");
};
HttpHelper.onTimeout = (request) {
print("Request ${request.method} timed out: ${request.url}${request.path}");
};
// Define the URL and path
String url = 'jsonplaceholder.typicode.com';
String path = '/posts';
// Define your converter that will be used to convert the response to a MyModel object
myToJsonConverter(response) {
return MyModel.fromJson(response);
}
// Define the request
final request = HttpRequest(
url: url,
path: path,
method: HttpRequestMethod.post,
converter: myToJsonConverter,
);
// Make the request
var response = await HttpHelper.sendRequest<MyModel>(request);
print(response.statusCode);
// Print the response data
if (response.isSuccess) {
print(response.data.toString());
} else {
// Note: when `response.isSuccess` is false, `error` and `message` will never be null, so it is save to access them!
print(response.error!.message!);
}
}Example 5: Using the middleware onBeforeSend to prevent users that are not logged in from entering the private area (fictional example)
import 'package:http_helper/http_helper.dart';
import 'typicode_model.dart';
void main() async {
// Set middleware functions
HttpHelper.onBeforeSend = (request) {
if (!user.loggedIn) {
// By returning an HttpError here, all 'sendRequest' calls will not send the request but will return this error if 'user.loggedIn' is false
return HttpError(
message: "You must be logged in to enter the private area",
)
}
return null;
};
// Define the URL and path
String url = 'accounts.example.com';
String path = '/private';
// Define your converter that will be used to convert the response to a MyModel object
myToJsonConverter(response) {
return UserPrivateDetails.fromJson(response);
}
// Define the request
final request = HttpRequest(
url: url,
path: path,
method: HttpRequestMethod.get,
converter: myToJsonConverter,
);
// Make a request
final response = await HttpHelper.sendRequest<UserPrivateDetails>(request);
// Print the response data
if (response.isSuccess) {
print(response.data);
} else {
// This will print the message defined in the HttpError above: 'You must be logged in to enter the private area'
print(response.error!.message!);
}
}