How to make an HTTP request in Swift?

Question

I read The Programming Language Swift by Apple in iBooks, but cannot figure out how to make an http request (something like CURL) in Swift. Do I need to import Obj-C classes or do I just need to import default libraries? Or is it not possible to make an HTTP request based on native swift code?

Answer 1

In Swift 4.1 and Xcode 9.4.1.

JSON POST approach example

func yourFunctionName {
    //Check internet connection
    let networkReachability = Reachability.forInternetConnection()
    let networkStatus:Int = (networkReachability?.currentReachabilityStatus())!.rawValue
    print(networkStatus)
    if networkStatus == NotReachable.rawValue {
        let msg = SharedClass.sharedInstance.noNetMsg//Message
        //Call alert from shared class
        SharedClass.sharedInstance.alert(view: self, title: "", message: msg)
    } else {
        //Call spinner from shared class
        SharedClass.sharedInstance.activityIndicator(view: self.view)//Play spinner

        let parameters = "Your parameters here"
        var request = URLRequest(url: URL(string: url)!)

        request.setValue("application/x-www-form-urlencoded", forHTTPHeaderField: "Content-Type")
        request.httpMethod = "POST"

        print("URL : \(request)")

        request.httpBody = parameters.data(using: .utf8)

        let task = URLSession.shared.dataTask(with: request) { data, response, error in guard let data = data, error == nil else { // check for fundamental networking error
            //Stop spinner
            SharedClass.sharedInstance.stopActivityIndicator() //Stop spinner
            //Print error in alert
            SharedClass.sharedInstance.alert(view: self, title: "", message: "\(String(describing: error!.localizedDescription))")
            return
            }

            SharedClass.sharedInstance.stopActivityIndicator() //Stop spinner

            if let httpStatus = response as? HTTPURLResponse, httpStatus.statusCode != 200 { // check for http errors
                print("statusCode should be 200, but is \(httpStatus.statusCode)")
                print("response = \(String(describing: response))")
            }

            do {
                let response = try JSONSerialization.jsonObject(with: data, options: []) as? [String: AnyObject]
                print(response!)
                //Your code here                    
            } catch let error as NSError {
                print(error)
            }
        }

        task.resume()

    }

}

If you have interest to use this function in SharedClass

//My shared class
import UIKit
class SharedClass: NSObject {

static let sharedInstance = SharedClass()

func postRequestFunction(apiName: String , parameters: String, onCompletion: @escaping (_ success: Bool, _ error: Error?, _ result: [String: Any]?)->()) {

    var URL =  "your URL here/index.php/***?"

    URL = URL.replacingOccurrences(of: "***", with: apiName)

    var request = URLRequest(url: URL(string: URL)!)
    request.setValue("application/x-www-form-urlencoded", forHTTPHeaderField: "Content-Type")
    request.httpMethod = "POST"
    print("shared URL : \(request)")
    request.httpBody = parameters.data(using: .utf8)

    var returnRes:[String:Any] = [:]
    let task = URLSession.shared.dataTask(with: request) { data, response, error in

        if let error = error {
            onCompletion(false, error, nil)
        } else {
            guard let data = data else {
                onCompletion(false, error, nil)
                return
            }

            if let httpStatus = response as? HTTPURLResponse, httpStatus.statusCode == 200 {
                do {
                   returnRes = try JSONSerialization.jsonObject(with: data, options: []) as! [String : Any]
                    onCompletion(true, nil, returnRes)

                } catch let error as NSError {
                   onCompletion(false, error, nil)
                }
            } else {
                onCompletion(false, error, nil)
            }
        }
    }
    task.resume()
}


private override init() {

}

And finally call this function like this....

SharedClass.sharedInstance.postRequestFunction(apiName: "Your API name", parameters: parameters) { (success, error, result) in
    print(result!)
    if success {
        //Your code here
    } else {
        print(error?.localizedDescription ?? "")
    }
}

Answer 2

I have done HTTP Request Both methods GET & POST with JSON Parsing this way:

on viewDidLoad():

override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()

    makeGetRequest()
    makePostRequest()

}

func makePostRequest(){

    let urlPath: String = "http://www.swiftdeveloperblog.com/http-post-example-script/"
    var url: NSURL = NSURL(string: urlPath)!
    var request: NSMutableURLRequest = NSMutableURLRequest(URL: url)

    request.HTTPMethod = "POST"
    var stringPost="firstName=James&lastName=Bond" // Key and Value

    let data = stringPost.dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding)

    request.timeoutInterval = 60
    request.HTTPBody=data
    request.HTTPShouldHandleCookies=false

    let queue:NSOperationQueue = NSOperationQueue()

    NSURLConnection.sendAsynchronousRequest(request, queue: NSOperationQueue(), completionHandler:{ (response:NSURLResponse!, data: NSData!, error: NSError!) -> Void in
        var error: AutoreleasingUnsafeMutablePointer<NSError?> = nil
        let jsonResult: NSDictionary! = NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(data, options:NSJSONReadingOptions.MutableContainers, error: error) as? NSDictionary

         if (jsonResult != nil) {
            // Success
           println(jsonResult)

           let message = jsonResult["Message"] as! NSString

           println(message)
         }else {
            // Failed
            println("Failed")
        }

    })

}

func makeGetRequest(){
    var url : String = "http://api.androidhive.info/contacts/"
    var request : NSMutableURLRequest = NSMutableURLRequest()
    request.URL = NSURL(string: url)
    request.HTTPMethod = "GET"
    request.timeoutInterval = 60

    NSURLConnection.sendAsynchronousRequest(request, queue: NSOperationQueue(), completionHandler:{ (response:NSURLResponse!, data: NSData!, error: NSError!) -> Void in
        var error: AutoreleasingUnsafeMutablePointer<NSError?> = nil
        let jsonResult: NSDictionary! = NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(data, options:NSJSONReadingOptions.MutableContainers, error: error) as? NSDictionary

        if (jsonResult != nil) {
            // Success
            println(jsonResult)

            let dataArray = jsonResult["contacts"] as! NSArray;

            for item in dataArray { // loop through data items

                let obj = item as! NSDictionary

                for (key, value) in obj {

                    println("Key: \(key) - Value: \(value)")

                    let phone = obj["phone"] as! NSDictionary;

                    let mobile = phone["mobile"] as! NSString
                    println(mobile)
                    let home = phone["home"] as! NSString
                    println(home)
                    let office = phone["office"] as! NSString
                    println(office)
                }
            }

        } else {
            // Failed
            println("Failed")
        }

    })
}

Done

Answer 3

An example for a sample "GET" request is given below.

let urlString = "YOUR_GET_URL"
let yourURL = URL(string: urlstring)
let dataTask = URLSession.shared.dataTask(with: yourURL) { (data, response, error) in
do {
    let json = try JSONSerialization.jsonObject(with: data!, options: .mutableContainers)
    print("json --- \(json)")
    }catch let err {
    print("err---\(err.localizedDescription)")
    }
   }
dataTask.resume()

Answer 4

//Here is an example that worked for me

//Swift function that post a request to a server with key values

func insertRecords()
{



    let usrID = txtID.text
    let checkin = lblInOut.text
    let comment = txtComment.text



    // The address of the web service
    let urlString = "http://your_url/checkInOut_post.php"

    // These are the keys that your are sending as part of the post request
    let keyValues = "id=\(usrID)&inout=\(checkin)&comment=\(comment)"




    // 1 - Create the session by getting the configuration and then
    //     creating the session

    let config = NSURLSessionConfiguration.defaultSessionConfiguration()
    let session = NSURLSession(configuration: config, delegate: nil, delegateQueue: nil)


    // 2 - Create the URL Object

    if let url = NSURL(string: urlString){


        // 3 - Create the Request Object

        var request  = NSMutableURLRequest(URL: url)
        request.HTTPMethod = "POST"

        // set the key values
        request.HTTPBody = keyValues.dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding);


        // 4 - execute the request

        let taskData = session.dataTaskWithRequest(request, completionHandler: {

            (data:NSData!, response:NSURLResponse!, error:NSError!) -> Void in

            println("\(data)")

            // 5 - Do something with the Data back

            if (data != nil) {

                // we got some data back
                println("\(data)")

                let result = NSString(data: data , encoding: NSUTF8StringEncoding)
                println("\(result)")

                if result == "OK" {

                    let a = UIAlertView(title: "OK", message: "Attendece has been recorded", delegate: nil, cancelButtonTitle: "OK")

                    println("\(result)")

                    dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue()) {


                    a.show()


                    }


                } else {
                  // display error and do something else

                }


            } else

            {   // we got an error
                println("Error getting stores :\(error.localizedDescription)")

            }


        })

        taskData.resume()



    }


}

PHP Code to get the key values

$empID = $_POST['id'];

$inOut = $_POST['inout'];

$comment = $_POST['comment'];

Answer 5

Here's a very simple Swift 4 example in a playground:

import UIKit
// run asynchronously in a playground
import PlaygroundSupport
PlaygroundPage.current.needsIndefiniteExecution = true

// create a url
let url = URL(string: "http://www.stackoverflow.com")

// create a data task
let task = URLSession.shared.dataTask(with: url!) { (data, response, error) in
    if error != nil {
        print("there's a problem")
    }
    print(String(data: data!, encoding: String.Encoding.utf8) ?? "")
}

//running the task w/ resume
task.resume()

Answer 6

I am using this guy's wrapper with good results so far https://github.com/daltoniam/swiftHTTP. No big leaky abstractions so far

Example

    do {
        let opt = try HTTP.GET("https://google.com")
        opt.start { response in
            if let err = response.error {
                print("error: \(err.localizedDescription)")
                return //also notify app of failure as needed
            }
            print("opt finished: \(response.description)")
            //print("data is: \(response.data)") access the response of the data with response.data
        }
    } catch let error {
        print("got an error creating the request: \(error)")
    }