Stories from the Web Crawling trenches in Python requests library

Using Python Requests to Ping an IP Address

Author: Mohan Ganesan

Date: Feb 3, 2024

The Python Requests library provides a simple way to ping an IP address and check if it is reachable. This guide covers how to ping an IP address with Requests and handle errors gracefully.

Sending Parameters in URLs with the Python Requests Library

Author: Mohan Ganesan

Date: Feb 3, 2024

Making API requests with Python Requests library, passing parameters as a dictionary, handling URL parameters and headers for complex requests.

Controlling Redirections in Python Requests

Author: Mohan Ganesan

Date: Feb 3, 2024

Disable auto redirects in Python Requests using allow_redirects=False whenever you want to handle redirects manually.

Uploading Zip Files via HTTP POST with Python Requests

Author: Mohan Ganesan

Date: Feb 3, 2024

Sending zip files over HTTP using Python's Requests library with multipart form data for efficient file upload and server processing.

Troubleshooting Hanging Requests with Python Requests Library

Author: Mohan Ganesan

Date: Feb 3, 2024

Python Requests library simplifies sending HTTP requests. Troubleshoot hanging requests by checking for network/connectivity issues, using timeout settings, implementing exponential backoff, and checking for deadlocks/race conditions.

Mastering Python Requests Sessions for Power Users

Author: Mohan Ganesan

Date: Oct 22, 2023

The Python requests library provides a powerful Session object for handling HTTP requests. Sessions allow you to persist settings, reuse connections, and handle cookies automatically.

Sending Data in GET Requests with Python Requests

Author: Mohan Ganesan

Date: Feb 3, 2024

The Python Requests library provides a simple way to send GET requests with data using the requests.get() method. It encodes the data into a query string that is appended to the URL, making it perfect for sending non-sensitive data like filters or pagination options.

Making API Calls with Lists in Python Requests

Author: Mohan Ganesan

Date: Feb 3, 2024

The Python Requests library provides an easy way to call APIs. You can pass lists of data, like IDs, to be handled by the API. For large lists, join items into a comma separated string to avoid errors.

Improving Performance of Python Requests with Threading

Author: Mohan Ganesan

Date: Feb 3, 2024

Python requests library provides a simple interface for making HTTP requests. Threading can help speed up requests by allowing multiple requests to be sent concurrently. Use thread pool, handle exceptions, watch for race conditions, use locks or queues for coordination. Threading improves performance for I/O-bound tasks. Beware of race conditions with shared data. Consider using grequests library for asynchronous requests.

Fixing the "Expecting Value" Error with Python Requests

Author: Mohan Ganesan

Date: Feb 3, 2024

When making API calls with the Python Requests library, you may occasionally see the error 'Expecting value', with a 400 status code. This usually means there was an issue with the request data being sent.

Handling HTTP Status Codes Gracefully with Python Requests

Author: Mohan Ganesan

Date: Feb 3, 2024

Python Requests library simplifies working with web APIs and handling HTTP status codes. Properly handling status codes is crucial for robust Python code.

Inspecting Requests in Python with the Requests Library

Author: Mohan Ganesan

Date: Feb 3, 2024

The Python Requests library makes sending HTTP requests simple. Use request.headers to view the headers sent in a Requests request. Access the request body with request.body. Set json instead of data parameter to have readable body printed.

Using Python Requests to Populate Date Fields in Web Forms

Author: Mohan Ganesan

Date: Feb 3, 2024

Use Python Requests library and headers to populate date fields in web forms with date pickers for automation.

Keeping Sessions Active When Websites Log You Out in Python Requests

Author: Mohan Ganesan

Date: Feb 3, 2024

Many websites log users out after inactivity. Python requests library allows session persistence. Tips: set cookie jar, reuse session, implement keep-alive, extract and re-apply session cookie.

Why use Python requests?

Author: Mohan Ganesan

Date: Feb 20, 2024

The Requests library is a popular tool for Python developers to make HTTP requests and APIs easier. It saves time compared to urllib module and provides features like JSON decoding and SSL verification. Requests is recommended for web API calls, web scraping, and more.

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