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LURC

Overview

This project is an attempt to make a command-line client (like cURL) built in C++ that allows users to perform basic HTTP requests (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to a specified URL. The client provides a way to specify HTTP methods, headers, and body data via command-line arguments, making it a simple yet powerful tool for interacting with web servers. The application includes components for URL parsing, request generation, and sending/receiving data over a network.

Features

BRANCH_INFO

• Supports HTTP/HTTPS methods: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE.
• Allows setting custom headers and request data.
• Verbose mode to display request and response details.
• Validates URL formats and ports.
• Sends requests and handles responses using raw socket programming.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• A C++ compiler supporting C++11 or later.
• CMake (recommended for building the project).

Building the Project

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/NayanPahuja/lurc.git
   cd lurc

2. Create a build directory and compile:

   mkdir build
   cd build
   cmake ..
   make

3. Run the executable:

   ./lurc

Usage

To run the HTTP/HTTPS client, use the following command format:

./lurc [-v] [-X <method>] [-H <header>] [-d <data>] [-o <file_name>]<URL>

Command-Line Options

• -v: Verbose mode, displays detailed request and response information.
• -X <method>: Specifies the HTTP method to use (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE). Defaults to GET.
• -H <header>: Adds a header to the request in the format Key: Value.
• -d <data>: Specifies the data to send in the body of the request (only applicable for methods like POST or PUT).
• <URL>: The URL to which the request is sent.

Example Commands

1. Basic GET request:

   ./lurc http://eu.httpbin.org/get

2. POST request with headers and data:

   ./lurc -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"name": "test"}' http://eu.httpbin.org/post

3. Verbose GET request:

   ./lurc -v http://eu.httpbin.org/get

4. Downloading an Image:

   ./lurc -o test.jpg http://www.keycdn.com/img/example.jpg

Error Handling

• If an invalid URL or port is provided, the program will display an appropriate error message.
• Incorrect usage of options will result in detailed error messages guiding the user to correct the input format.

Project Structure

• main.cpp: Handles command-line parsing and controls the flow of the HTTP request process.
• url_parser.h / url_parser.cpp: Contains logic to parse URLs into components (protocol, host, port, path).
• http_client.h / http_client.cpp: Manages the creation and sending of HTTP requests and the handling of responses.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome!

Roadmap

• Add HEAD and PATCH method in HTTP.

• Add handling of keep alive and using it to send multiple requests over the same TCP connection.

• Add the ability to continue downloads by adding a flag like in curl -.

• Add functionality depending on status codes such as Redirection etc. Use a flag -L to redirect location like curl.

• Add a download progress bar (optional).

• Any vulnerabilities or improvement suggestions are always welcome!

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Acknowledgments

• Basic socket programming concepts are adapted to provide robust error handling.
• Checkout Beej's guide to Networking for learning about networks;
• Regex is used for parsing URLs, inspired by common URL formats in web development.

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