How do I 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

You can use URL, URLRequest and URLSession or NSURLConnection as you'd normally do in Objective-C. Note that for iOS 7.0 and later, URLSession is preferred.

Using URLSession

Initialize a URL object and a URLSessionDataTask from URLSession. Then run the task with resume().

let url = URL(string: "http://www.stackoverflow.com")!  let task = URLSession.shared.dataTask(with: url) {(data, response, error) in     guard let data = data else { return }     print(String(data: data, encoding: .utf8)!) }  task.resume() 

Using NSURLConnection

First, initialize a URL and a URLRequest:

let url = URL(string: "http://www.stackoverflow.com")! var request = URLRequest(url: url) request.httpMethod = "POST"  

Then, you can load the request asynchronously with:

NSURLConnection.sendAsynchronousRequest(request, queue: OperationQueue.main) {(response, data, error) in     guard let data = data else { return }     print(String(data: data, encoding: .utf8)!) } 

Or you can initialize an NSURLConnection:

let connection = NSURLConnection(request: request, delegate:nil, startImmediately: true) 

Just make sure to set your delegate to something other than nil and use the delegate methods to work with the response and data received.

For more detail, check the documentation for the NSURLConnectionDataDelegate protocol

Testing on an Xcode playground

If you want to try this code on a Xcode playground, add import PlaygroundSupport to your playground, as well as the following call:

PlaygroundPage.current.needsIndefiniteExecution = true 

This will allow you to use asynchronous code in playgrounds.

Answer 2

Check Below Codes :

1. SynchonousRequest

Swift 1.2

    let urlPath: String = "YOUR_URL_HERE"     var url: NSURL = NSURL(string: urlPath)!     var request1: NSURLRequest = NSURLRequest(URL: url)     var response: AutoreleasingUnsafeMutablePointer<NSURLResponse?>=nil     var dataVal: NSData =  NSURLConnection.sendSynchronousRequest(request1, returningResponse: response, error:nil)!     var err: NSError     println(response)     var jsonResult: NSDictionary = NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(dataVal, options: NSJSONReadingOptions.MutableContainers, error: &err) as? NSDictionary     println("Synchronous\(jsonResult)") 

Swift 2.0 +

let urlPath: String = "YOUR_URL_HERE"     let url: NSURL = NSURL(string: urlPath)!     let request1: NSURLRequest = NSURLRequest(URL: url)     let response: AutoreleasingUnsafeMutablePointer<NSURLResponse?>=nil       do{          let dataVal = try NSURLConnection.sendSynchronousRequest(request1, returningResponse: response)              print(response)             do {                 if let jsonResult = try NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(dataVal, options: []) as? NSDictionary {                     print("Synchronous\(jsonResult)")                 }             } catch let error as NSError {                 print(error.localizedDescription)             }        }catch let error as NSError     {          print(error.localizedDescription)     } 

2. AsynchonousRequest

Swift 1.2

let urlPath: String = "YOUR_URL_HERE"     var url: NSURL = NSURL(string: urlPath)!     var request1: NSURLRequest = NSURLRequest(URL: url)     let queue:NSOperationQueue = NSOperationQueue()     NSURLConnection.sendAsynchronousRequest(request1, queue: queue, completionHandler:{ (response: NSURLResponse!, data: NSData!, error: NSError!) -> Void in         var err: NSError         var jsonResult: NSDictionary = NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(data, options: NSJSONReadingOptions.MutableContainers, error: nil) as NSDictionary         println("Asynchronous\(jsonResult)")        }) 

Swift 2.0 +

let urlPath: String = "YOUR_URL_HERE"     let url: NSURL = NSURL(string: urlPath)!     let request1: NSURLRequest = NSURLRequest(URL: url)     let queue:NSOperationQueue = NSOperationQueue()      NSURLConnection.sendAsynchronousRequest(request1, queue: queue, completionHandler:{ (response: NSURLResponse?, data: NSData?, error: NSError?) -> Void in          do {             if let jsonResult = try NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(data!, options: []) as? NSDictionary {                 print("ASynchronous\(jsonResult)")             }         } catch let error as NSError {             print(error.localizedDescription)         }       }) 

3. As usual URL connection

Swift 1.2

    var dataVal = NSMutableData()     let urlPath: String = "YOUR URL HERE"     var url: NSURL = NSURL(string: urlPath)!     var request: NSURLRequest = NSURLRequest(URL: url)     var connection: NSURLConnection = NSURLConnection(request: request, delegate: self, startImmediately: true)!     connection.start() 

Then

 func connection(connection: NSURLConnection!, didReceiveData data: NSData!){     self.dataVal?.appendData(data) }   func connectionDidFinishLoading(connection: NSURLConnection!) {     var error: NSErrorPointer=nil      var jsonResult: NSDictionary = NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(dataVal!, options: NSJSONReadingOptions.MutableContainers, error: error) as NSDictionary      println(jsonResult)    } 

Swift 2.0 +

   var dataVal = NSMutableData()     let urlPath: String = "YOUR URL HERE"     var url: NSURL = NSURL(string: urlPath)!     var request: NSURLRequest = NSURLRequest(URL: url)     var connection: NSURLConnection = NSURLConnection(request: request, delegate: self, startImmediately: true)!     connection.start() 

Then

func connection(connection: NSURLConnection!, didReceiveData data: NSData!){     dataVal.appendData(data) }   func connectionDidFinishLoading(connection: NSURLConnection!) {      do {         if let jsonResult = try NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(dataVal, options: []) as? NSDictionary {             print(jsonResult)         }     } catch let error as NSError {         print(error.localizedDescription)     }  } 

4. Asynchonous POST Request

Swift 1.2

    let urlPath: String = "YOUR URL HERE"     var url: NSURL = NSURL(string: urlPath)!     var request1: NSMutableURLRequest = NSMutableURLRequest(URL: url)      request1.HTTPMethod = "POST"      var stringPost="deviceToken=123456" // Key and Value      let data = stringPost.dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding)      request1.timeoutInterval = 60     request1.HTTPBody=data     request1.HTTPShouldHandleCookies=false      let queue:NSOperationQueue = NSOperationQueue()       NSURLConnection.sendAsynchronousRequest(request1, queue: queue, completionHandler:{ (response: NSURLResponse!, data: NSData!, error: NSError!) -> Void in           var err: NSError          var jsonResult: NSDictionary = NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(data, options: NSJSONReadingOptions.MutableContainers, error: nil) as NSDictionary         println("AsSynchronous\(jsonResult)")           }) 

Swift 2.0 +

let urlPath: String = "YOUR URL HERE"     let url: NSURL = NSURL(string: urlPath)!     let request1: NSMutableURLRequest = NSMutableURLRequest(URL: url)      request1.HTTPMethod = "POST"     let stringPost="deviceToken=123456" // Key and Value      let data = stringPost.dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding)      request1.timeoutInterval = 60     request1.HTTPBody=data     request1.HTTPShouldHandleCookies=false      let queue:NSOperationQueue = NSOperationQueue()      NSURLConnection.sendAsynchronousRequest(request1, queue: queue, completionHandler:{ (response: NSURLResponse?, data: NSData?, error: NSError?) -> Void in          do {             if let jsonResult = try NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(data!, options: []) as? NSDictionary {                 print("ASynchronous\(jsonResult)")             }         } catch let error as NSError {             print(error.localizedDescription)         }       }) 

5. Asynchonous GET Request

Swift 1.2

    let urlPath: String = "YOUR URL HERE"     var url: NSURL = NSURL(string: urlPath)!     var request1: NSMutableURLRequest = NSMutableURLRequest(URL: url)      request1.HTTPMethod = "GET"     request1.timeoutInterval = 60     let queue:NSOperationQueue = NSOperationQueue()       NSURLConnection.sendAsynchronousRequest(request1, queue: queue, completionHandler:{ (response: NSURLResponse!, data: NSData!, error: NSError!) -> Void in           var err: NSError          var jsonResult: NSDictionary = NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(data, options: NSJSONReadingOptions.MutableContainers, error: nil) as NSDictionary         println("AsSynchronous\(jsonResult)")           }) 

Swift 2.0 +

let urlPath: String = "YOUR URL HERE"     let url: NSURL = NSURL(string: urlPath)!     let request1: NSMutableURLRequest = NSMutableURLRequest(URL: url)      request1.HTTPMethod = "GET"     let queue:NSOperationQueue = NSOperationQueue()      NSURLConnection.sendAsynchronousRequest(request1, queue: queue, completionHandler:{ (response: NSURLResponse?, data: NSData?, error: NSError?) -> Void in          do {             if let jsonResult = try NSJSONSerialization.JSONObjectWithData(data!, options: []) as? NSDictionary {                 print("ASynchronous\(jsonResult)")             }         } catch let error as NSError {             print(error.localizedDescription)         }       }) 

6. Image(File) Upload

Swift 2.0 +

  let mainURL = "YOUR_URL_HERE"      let url = NSURL(string: mainURL)     let request = NSMutableURLRequest(URL: url!)     let boundary = "78876565564454554547676"     request.addValue("multipart/form-data; boundary=\(boundary)", forHTTPHeaderField: "Content-Type")       request.HTTPMethod = "POST" // POST OR PUT What you want     let session = NSURLSession(configuration:NSURLSessionConfiguration.defaultSessionConfiguration(), delegate: nil, delegateQueue: nil)      let imageData = UIImageJPEGRepresentation(UIImage(named: "Test.jpeg")!, 1)          var body = NSMutableData()      body.appendData("--\(boundary)\r\n".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding)!)      // Append your parameters      body.appendData("Content-Disposition: form-data; name=\"name\"\r\n\r\n".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding)!)     body.appendData("PREMKUMAR\r\n".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding, allowLossyConversion: true)!)     body.appendData("--\(boundary)\r\n".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding)!)      body.appendData("Content-Disposition: form-data; name=\"description\"\r\n\r\n".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding)!)     body.appendData("IOS_DEVELOPER\r\n".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding, allowLossyConversion: true)!)     body.appendData("--\(boundary)\r\n".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding)!)       // Append your Image/File Data      var imageNameval = "HELLO.jpg"      body.appendData("--\(boundary)\r\n".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding)!)     body.appendData("Content-Disposition: form-data; name=\"profile_photo\"; filename=\"\(imageNameval)\"\r\n".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding)!)     body.appendData("Content-Type: image/jpeg\r\n\r\n".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding)!)     body.appendData(imageData!)     body.appendData("\r\n".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding)!)      body.appendData("--\(boundary)--\r\n".dataUsingEncoding(NSUTF8StringEncoding)!)      request.HTTPBody = body         let dataTask = session.dataTaskWithRequest(request) { (data, response, error) -> Void in          if error != nil {              //handle error           }         else {                 let outputString : NSString = NSString(data:data!, encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding)!             print("Response:\(outputString)")           }     }     dataTask.resume()