# cockpit.js: HTTP Client

Cockpit allows access to local HTTP and REST services via this API.

## cockpit.http()

    http = cockpit.http(endpoint, [options])
    http = cockpit.http(options)

Create a new HTTP client. The `endpoint` can be a file path starting with `/` to connect to a unix socket, or it can be a port number to connect to. The optional `options` argument is a javascript plain object, and may include:

`"address"`

  Connect to an address other than localhost. Must be a valid host name or IP address. To use this option you also must provide a port number.

`"port"`

  Port number to use with "address" option, when not given in `endpoint`.

`"tls"`

  Object properties for an https connection. See `http-stream2 TLS options`.

`"headers"`

  Additional HTTP headers to include with the HTTP request. This is a plain javascript object with each key as a header name, and each value as the header value.

`"superuser"`

  Set to `"require"` to open this channel as root. If the currently logged in user is not permitted to become root (eg: via `pkexec`) then the `channel` will immediately be closed with a `"access-denied"` problem code. + Set to `"try"` to try to make the request as root, but if that fails, fall back to perform an unprivileged request.

`"tls"`

  If set to a plain javascript object, then the connection will be an HTTPS connection and include TLS encryption. The fields of the `tls` object declare various TLS configuration and data. All fields are optional: +

  - `"authority"`: Certificate authority(s) to expect as signers of the server’s TLS certificate, represented as a plain javascript object. It should have either a `"file"` field containing a readable PEM file on the system containing authorities, or a `"data"` with PEM encoded certificate data.

  - `"certificate"`: A client certificate to use, represented as a plain javascript object. It should have either a `"file"` field containing a readable PEM file on the system to use as a certificate, or a `"data"` with PEM encoded certificate data.

  - `"key"`: A client key to use, represented as a plain javascript object. It should have either a `"file"` field containing a readable PEM file on the system to use as a key, or a `"data"` with PEM encoded key data.

  - `"validate"`: A boolean that describes whether to validate the server’s TLS certificate or not. By default local connections are not validated, and remote connections are validated.

Here is a somewhat complex example of using most of the above `options` when when calling `cockpit.http()`:

    http = cockpit.http({
        "address": "localhost",
        "headers": {
            "Authorization": "Basic dXNlcjpwYXNzd29yZA=="
        },
        "port": 443,
        "tls": {
            "validate": true,
            "authority": {
                "file": "/etc/pki/tls/certs/ca-bundle.crt",
            },
            "certificate": {
                "data": "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----\nMIIDsDCCA..."
            },
            "key": {
                "data": "-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----\nMIIEogIBA..."
            }
        }
    });

## http.get()

    request = http.get(path, [params, [headers]])

Perform an HTTP GET request for the given `path`. If the `params` is specified it should be a plain javascript object, which will be turned into a query string.

Optionally a plain javascript object containing headers can be included in the `headers` argument.

The return value is a Promise that will complete if the request happens successfully, or fail if there’s a problem.

## http.post()

    request = http.post(path, body, [headers])

Perform an HTTP POST request for the given `path`. The `body` can be a string, or a javascript plain object, which will be encoded as JSON data. If `body` is `undefined` or `null` then an empty HTTP body will be sent.

Optionally a plain javascript object containing headers can be included in the `headers` argument.

The return value is a Promise that will complete if the request happens successfully, or fail if there’s a problem.

## http.request()

    request = http.request(options)

Perform an HTTP request. The `options` can contain the following:

`"body"`

  The HTTP request body. If you do not specify a body, then you must call request.input() to complete the body and allow the request to start.

`"headers"`

  A javascript plain object containing HTTP headers.

`"method"`

  The HTTP method. Defaults to `"GET"`.

`"params"`

  A javascript plain object containing query string parameters.

`"path"`

  The HTTP path. Defaults to `/`.

The return value is a Promise that will complete if the request happens successfully, or fail if there’s a problem.

## request.then()

    request.then(data => { ... })

This is a standard Promise method. It sets up a handler to be called when the request finishes successfully.

The `data` argument contains the body result of the request. If it a string, unless the process was opened in binary mode, in which case the `data` is an array of bytes. If a `request.stream()` handler is set up, then any standard output data consumed by the handler will not be included in the `data` argument.

## request.catch()

    request.catch((exception[, data]) => { ... })

This is a standard Promise method. It sets up a handler to be called when the request fails, or returns an error code.

The `exception` object passed to the handler can have the following fields:

`problem`

  A problem code string when a problem occurred starting or communicating with the server. This is `null` if the process exited or was terminated.

`status`

  The numeric status of the response. This is `null` if no response was received.

`reason`

  A string reason returned in the response. This is `null` if no response was received.

`message`

  A string message returned in the response. This is `null` if no response was received.

If the request returned a response body, it will be available in the `data` argument. Otherwise this argument will be `undefined`.

## request.response()

    request.response((status, headers) => { ... })

This sets up a handler to be called when the HTTP request gets the initial response from the server. The `status` argument is the HTTP status integer, and the `headers` is a plain javascript object containing the headers of the response.

## request.stream()

    request.stream(data => { ... })

This sets up a handler to be called when the request returns output data. The handler will be called multiple times.

Only one handler may be registered at a time. Registering an additional handler replaces the previous one. The handler receives either string `data` or an array of binary bytes as its argument. A stream handler may return a number, which indicates the number of characters or bytes consumed from `data`. Any data not consumed will be included again the next time the handler is called.

If a `request.stream()` handler is set up, then the `request.then()` handlers will only get any remaining data not consumed by the stream handler.

## request.input()

    request.input(data, [stream])

This method writes `data` to the HTTP request body. It is only valid if no `"body"` has been specified in http.request() options. If `stream` is `true` then this function can be called again to provide further data.

## request.close()

    request.close([problem])

Cancel the request. If `problem` is specified it should be a standard problem code string.

## http.close()

    http.close([problem])

Cancel all outstanding requests with the given problem code. This is useful when you know that the server is going down soon.