# Make a request from the server --- ### XMLHttp Request --> Allows you to make a request from the back-end in the same way you would from the front-end ```javascript= var XMLHttpRequest = require("xmlhttprequest").XMLHttpRequest; npm install xmlhttprequest --save ``` --- ## 1 Request Doesn't use promises but is deprecated :confused: --- ## 2 Introduce other ways (using promises) --- All of the below are using promises which we should not yet get into!  --- 1. Superagent >SuperAgent is light-weight progressive ajax API crafted for flexibility, readability, and a low learning curve after being frustrated with many of the existing request APIs. It also works with Node.js! --- Seems like it's quite easy to use ``` npm install superagent ``` ```javascript= const superagent = require("superagent"); ``` --- ```javascript= function handleHome(request, response) { superagent.get("https://picsum.photos/v2/list").end((err, res) => { console.log(JSON.stringify(res)); }); } ``` --- Pros: - It has a plugin ecosystem where plugins could be built for extra functionality. - Configurable. - Nice interface for making HTTP requests. - Multiple functions chaining to send requests. - Works in both Browser and Node - Has support for upload and download progress. - Has support for chunked transfer encoding. - Old-style callbacks are supported - Numerous plugins available for many common features --- Cons: It’s API doesn’t adhere to any standard. --- ## Fetch - native browser API for making requests. --- Pros - It’s flexible and easy to use - Uses promises to avoid callback hell - Supported by all modern browsers - Follows request-response approach - It has a nice and simple syntax --- Cons - Doesn’t work in serverside - Lacks some nice features of developed libraries like canceling requests. - It doesn’t have built-support for defaults like mode of a request, headers, credentials. --- The fetch function takes one required parameter: the endpoint URL. It also has other optional parameters as in the example below:  --- within fetch there are other modules and plugins that allow us to send and receive a request to and from the server side, such as axios and nodefetch. --- ## NodeFetch - a minimal code for a window.fetch compatible API on Node.js runtime. see code:  --- ## Axios - Promise-based HTTP client for the browser and node.js - Using Promises is good when dealing with code that has a complicated / asynchronous chain of events - Axios also parses JSON responses by default (like SuperAgent) --- - There are two ways to include Axios in your project. - You can use npm: ``` $ npm install axios ``` - Or you can include axios using a CDN: ``` <script src="https://unpkg.com/axios/dist/axios.min.js"></script> ``` --- - With Axios you can use GET and POST to retrieve and post data from the server. You can see GET here:  --- Pros: - It works on both Nodejs and Browser - Supports Promise API - Can set or cancel a request - Can set a response timeout - Supports protection against Cross-site request forgery, XSRF. - Can intercept requests or responses before they are carried out. - Has support for upload progress - Widely used in React and Vue projects. --- Cons: - Seems to be some debate about whether it is easier or more difficult to use than superagent and fetch --- ## 3 Pro's and Con's / When to use which method / References Compares pros and cons of JavaScript HTTP Requests Libraries: https://blog.bitsrc.io/comparing-http-request-libraries-for-2019-7bedb1089c83 5 most popular http request libraries according to free code camp: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/here-is-the-most-popular-ways-to-make-an-http-request-in-javascript-954ce8c95aaa/ https://attacomsian.com/blog/http-requests-in-nodejs ---