Problem Statement
What is curl primarily used for?
Explanation
Curl (Client URL) is a command-line tool for transferring data using various protocols including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, and more. It's commonly used for API testing, downloading files, checking HTTP responses, and debugging web services. Basic usage: curl URL displays response from URL.
Common options: -o filename saves output to file, -O downloads file with original name, -I shows only headers, -X METHOD specifies HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE), -H 'Header: value' adds custom headers, -d 'data' sends POST data, -u user:pass for authentication, -k ignores SSL certificate validation. Example: curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"key":"value"}' URL posts JSON data.
Curl is essential for DevOps automation, testing REST APIs, health checks in monitoring scripts, downloading files in scripts, and debugging HTTP issues. It shows detailed information about requests and responses, supports authentication, follows redirects with -L flag, and handles cookies. Understanding curl is crucial for working with web services and APIs from command line.
