GNU bug report logs - #22921
25.1.50; Wishlist: There should be a new URL interface

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi <at> gnus.org>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 25.1.50; Wishlist: There should be a new URL interface
Date: Sun, 06 Mar 2016 14:44:37 +0100

The current interfaces to the URL library aren't very handy.  It's
`url-retrieve' and `url-retrieve-synchronously'.  The main problem is
that they're inconsistent and difficult to interact with.

For instance, most of the "inputs" to the functions are dynamically
bound specially variables like `url-request-method', and that sucks.
The buffers that are returned are inconsistent based on the URL
method -- HTTP buffers come with the headers first, while ftp buffers do
not.

So: `with-url-buffer'.

Typical usage would be

(with-url-buffer ("https://fsf.org"
                  :verbose t
                  :request-method "POST"
                  :timeout 10)
  (do-stuff-with-the-result-here))

That is, the callback is in the form.  There are no headers in the
buffer, and point is at point-min when the body is called.  Headers are
accessed with a new form like `(url-header "date")', and the headers are
available in a buffer-local variable called `url-headers'.

Upon completion of the body form, the buffer is killed, unless a
parameter :inhibit-kill-buffer is given.

Synchronous and asynchronous operation looks identical, but synchronous
operation happens when you say :synchronous t.

Implementation-wise, this happens with lexical bindings switched on, and
the body form is turned into a closure that's evaluated upon completion.

`with-url-buffer' will not support the exotic, never-actually-used
protocols like news:, irc:, imap:, etc, but only http:, https:, ftp:
and file:.



In GNU Emacs 25.1.50.23 (x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.4.2)
 of 2016-03-06 built on stories
Repository revision: 20cc4182598c6c724f4556faf6bc322c9e58ad1d
Windowing system distributor 'The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.11204000
System Description:	Debian GNU/Linux 7.9 (wheezy)

Configured features:
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LIBXML2 FREETYPE LIBOTF XFT ZLIB TOOLKIT_SCROLL_BARS GTK3 X11

Important settings:
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Major mode: Group

Minor modes in effect:
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Recent messages:
Wrote /home/larsi/.newsrc
Saving /home/larsi/.newsrc.eld...
Saving file /home/larsi/.newsrc.eld...
Wrote /home/larsi/.newsrc.eld
Saving /home/larsi/.newsrc.eld...done
No more unseen articles
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next-line: End of buffer [2 times]
(No changes need to be saved)
Making completion list...

Load-path shadows:
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/home/larsi/src/cddb.el/expect hides /home/larsi/lisp/expect
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~/pgnus/contrib/vcard hides /home/larsi/lisp/vcard
/home/larsi/src/cddb.el/captitle hides /home/larsi/lisp/captitle
~/lisp/zenirc-2.112/src/zenirc-example hides /home/larsi/lisp/zenirc-example
/home/larsi/lisp/dom hides /home/larsi/src/emacs/trunk/lisp/dom
~/pgnus/contrib/compface hides /home/larsi/src/emacs/trunk/lisp/image/compface

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Memory information:
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 (symbols 48 170790 312)
 (miscs 40 674 1974)
 (strings 32 317931 33454)
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 (buffers 976 59)
 (heap 1024 212624 72649))

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
   bloggy blog: http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no

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