How To Use Java HttpURLConnection for HTTP GET and POST Requests

Hi, I wast tried to hit an end point which is get to fetch the detail using apache http, the json response that I get has got some attributes which are empty array. But the same end point I hit thru a browser or a rest client I don’t see these attributes as part of json response. Why is that ?

- abhineet

Thanks man! This really worked as expected. Good job (y)

- Gurgen

Nice tutorial. Well I didn’t get on thing. `os.write(POST_PARAMS.getBytes()); os.flush(); os.close();` How can I print my complete POST URL, after adding parameters. Is that possible to output the URL?

- akshay

This tutorial is great and clear. But how about 2 parameters?

- mbrean

Thanks :D

- Rinaldes Duma

hello am getting error : javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: Remote host closed connection during handshake. I did same as above except for https connection. please help.

- KIRAN

Many thanks - I’ve been puzzling over how to POST from a Spring Controller and your article was a great help. Andrew (Sheffield UK)

- Andrew

is there any way to get request url from browser console

- suman

I have to say I’m new to Java but have worked with C, C++ , python and several other languages. Java was the hardest for me to understand and work with but this little tutorial made it very plain how to use the java.net module the way I wanted. Very Nice Job!

- Mathew Eickmeyer

Really awesome tutorials so easy to understand. Thanks pankaj.

- Nidh

hi sir… output:: GET Response Code :: 200 Home Hello world! The time on the server is March 6, 2015 9:31:04 PM IST. GET DONE POST Response Code :: 200 User Home PageHi Pankaj POST DONE how to display in web page sir … every time copy paste in browser cannot possible sir … i mean direct when run the programe out put will be display in web page sir same like above pages thanks sir

- naresh

Awesome… I have changed POST_PARAMS into custom xml data in string and it works! Thanks you.

- Vandens

Connection exceptioni s coming when I run the java code. Will you please help me to use the code. Is it to run the java code and automatically the code runs?

- Samas

Hi Pankaj, I have an end point url, and i tried through the SOUP UI using REST its giving expected response. Now i need to implement through java code and test wether i am getting expected response. can you help on this please. For the first time i am working on web services. would like to in detail, will be required any jars in eclipse/project etc. Thanks, Kiran

- kiran

Hi I am using httpsurlconnection. Url: “https://localhost:8443/LoginApp” + “/restservice/agentchildservice/getAttributesForIdentity”; connection.respose is 200. Its a post call. But the values are not getting fetched , its showing me the login page html content. BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader((conn.getInputStream()))); StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(); String output; while ((output = br.readLine()) != null) { sb.append(output); } System.out.println(sb); on printing it will give me the login page html in stringbuilder variable. I want to get the values. Can you please suggest.

- Deepak

Hai, how much it will take to get a response once we hit the url??

- Mahadev

Thanks for the informative post! I’m still a newbie when it comes to programming using Java programming language but reading posts like this really helps me understand it even more. Cheers!

- Kristina Mendoza

Hi , I am getting the following error for post request Exception in thread “main” java.io.IOException: Unable to tunnel through proxy. Proxy returns “HTTP/1.1 400 Bad Request” . I have added extra proxy settings in the sendPOST() method .

- Greshma John

its really useful for me thank u so much …

- dheeraj

Very usefull, thanks

- incognito

How can a post/get an XML or JSON object using this.

- Anjan

Hi I’m getting the error java.net.UnknownHostException: Any idea why

- immanual

Hi, I have implemented above code and it works fine. but I need to accept the values from xls and passing it one by one. so can you please provide the solution for this.

- Nikita

I can’t thank u in words/comments. you deserve more than that, really appreciated. Thanks so much sir

- Gaurav Arora

i m getting exception as java.lang.ClassCastException: sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection cannot be cast to javax.net.ssl.HttpsURLConnection. I am calling Http URL

- Akshay J.

This article was very helpful but I am stuck getting a failure back from my request. This works in postman but when trying in java, it fails every way I try it. Sample code below along with the response I get. Any help is very appreciated!! //print out the encoded values data.addToLog( "sha256hex: ", sha256hex); data.addToLog( "xauth: ", xauth); StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(); String baseurl = “https://” + apihost + endpoint + “?personID=” + personid; data.addToLog( "BaseURL: ", baseurl); //print out the JSON search request try { URL myurl = new URL(null, baseurl , new sun.net.www.protocol.https.Handler() ); HttpsURLConnection con = (HttpsURLConnection )myurl.openConnection(); con.setSSLSocketFactory(new TSLSocketConnectionFactory()); con.setRequestProperty(“X-Timestamp”, tsparam); con.setRequestProperty(“X-Nonce”, nonce64); con.setRequestProperty(“X-Authorization”, xauth); con.setRequestProperty(“X-Test-Insecure”, “true”); con.setRequestMethod(method); con.setDoOutput(true); con.setRequestProperty(“Content-Type”, “application/json;charset=utf-8”); int responseCode = con.getResponseCode(); data.addToLog("Response Code= “, con.getResponseCode() +”: "+ con.getResponseMessage()); if (responseCode == HttpURLConnection.HTTP_OK) { // success BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader( con.getInputStream())); String inputLine; StringBuffer response = new StringBuffer(); while ((inputLine = in.readLine()) != null) { response.append(inputLine); } in.close(); // print result //System.out.println(response.toString()); data.addToLog(“Response:”, response.toString() ); } Log results: PersonDetailsLookup,custom,Response Code= ,200: OK PersonDetailsLookup,custom,Response:,{“serviceModel”:{“errorCode”:{“description”:“Unexpected System Error”“value”:“500”}“errorMessage”:“API Invocation Failure - Unknown Error”“severity”:{“description”:“FATAL”“value”:“3”}}}

- Maureen Shaw

You have missed the con.disconnect() after each call. Small things can create HUGE issues in the long run.

- ADAM

When i send the request using the string directInput, it’s working fine. Unfortunately when i used the json object converted into string jsonInput i got 404 error code. the directInput and jsonInput return the same values Someone could please help troubleshooting ? Thanks public class Test { public static void main(String[] args) { try { String userCredentials = “USR28:YG739G5XFVPYYV4ADJVW”; String basicAuth = "Basic " + new String(Base64.getEncoder().encode(userCredentials.getBytes())); URL url = new URL(“https://74.208.84.251:8221/QosicBridge/user/deposit”); HttpURLConnection conn = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection(); conn.setRequestMethod(“POST”); conn.setRequestProperty(“Content-Type”, “application/json;”); conn.setRequestProperty(“Accept”, “application/json”); conn.setDoOutput(true); conn.setRequestProperty (“Authorization”, basicAuth); //String directInput = “{\“msisdn\”:\“22997858711\”,\“amount\”:1400,\“transref\”:\“QOVNPVTRATYCBK8VIL1A\”,\“clientid\”:\“UBHQ\”}”; DepositObject d = new DepositObject(); d.setMsisdn(“22997858711”); d.setAmount(35); d.setTransref(“QOVNPVTRATYCBK8VIL1A”); d.setClientid(“UHBQ”); Gson gson = new Gson(); String jsonInput = gson.toJson(d).toString(); OutputStream os = conn.getOutputStream(); os.write(jsonInput.getBytes()); os.flush(); if (conn.getResponseCode() != 200) { throw new RuntimeException("Failed : HTTP error code : " + conn.getResponseCode()); } BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader( (conn.getInputStream()))); String output; while ((output = br.readLine()) != null) { System.out.println(output); } conn.disconnect(); } catch (MalformedURLException e) { e.printStackTrace(); } catch (IOException e) { e.printStackTrace(); } }

- LAKATAN Adebayo G. Wilfried

Hai I have to develop a program for get and post request can you help me for that.

- Krishnan

Hi Pankaj, I have one small required with this HTTP post connection, in postman I am using post method to pass a url and content from body section choosing raw option. I am able to open the connection but not sure how to post this body content in post call. can you please advise. Thanks in advance

- Teena

How can a post/get an XML or JSON object using this.

- Anjan

Hi I’m getting the error java.net.UnknownHostException: Any idea why

- immanual

Hi, I have implemented above code and it works fine. but I need to accept the values from xls and passing it one by one. so can you please provide the solution for this.

- Nikita

I can’t thank u in words/comments. you deserve more than that, really appreciated. Thanks so much sir

- Gaurav Arora

i m getting exception as java.lang.ClassCastException: sun.net.www.protocol.http.HttpURLConnection cannot be cast to javax.net.ssl.HttpsURLConnection. I am calling Http URL

- Akshay J.

This article was very helpful but I am stuck getting a failure back from my request. This works in postman but when trying in java, it fails every way I try it. Sample code below along with the response I get. Any help is very appreciated!! //print out the encoded values data.addToLog( "sha256hex: ", sha256hex); data.addToLog( "xauth: ", xauth); StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(); String baseurl = “https://” + apihost + endpoint + “?personID=” + personid; data.addToLog( "BaseURL: ", baseurl); //print out the JSON search request try { URL myurl = new URL(null, baseurl , new sun.net.www.protocol.https.Handler() ); HttpsURLConnection con = (HttpsURLConnection )myurl.openConnection(); con.setSSLSocketFactory(new TSLSocketConnectionFactory()); con.setRequestProperty(“X-Timestamp”, tsparam); con.setRequestProperty(“X-Nonce”, nonce64); con.setRequestProperty(“X-Authorization”, xauth); con.setRequestProperty(“X-Test-Insecure”, “true”); con.setRequestMethod(method); con.setDoOutput(true); con.setRequestProperty(“Content-Type”, “application/json;charset=utf-8”); int responseCode = con.getResponseCode(); data.addToLog("Response Code= “, con.getResponseCode() +”: "+ con.getResponseMessage()); if (responseCode == HttpURLConnection.HTTP_OK) { // success BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader( con.getInputStream())); String inputLine; StringBuffer response = new StringBuffer(); while ((inputLine = in.readLine()) != null) { response.append(inputLine); } in.close(); // print result //System.out.println(response.toString()); data.addToLog(“Response:”, response.toString() ); } Log results: PersonDetailsLookup,custom,Response Code= ,200: OK PersonDetailsLookup,custom,Response:,{“serviceModel”:{“errorCode”:{“description”:“Unexpected System Error”“value”:“500”}“errorMessage”:“API Invocation Failure - Unknown Error”“severity”:{“description”:“FATAL”“value”:“3”}}}

- Maureen Shaw

You have missed the con.disconnect() after each call. Small things can create HUGE issues in the long run.

- ADAM

When i send the request using the string directInput, it’s working fine. Unfortunately when i used the json object converted into string jsonInput i got 404 error code. the directInput and jsonInput return the same values Someone could please help troubleshooting ? Thanks public class Test { public static void main(String[] args) { try { String userCredentials = “USR28:YG739G5XFVPYYV4ADJVW”; String basicAuth = "Basic " + new String(Base64.getEncoder().encode(userCredentials.getBytes())); URL url = new URL(“https://74.208.84.251:8221/QosicBridge/user/deposit”); HttpURLConnection conn = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection(); conn.setRequestMethod(“POST”); conn.setRequestProperty(“Content-Type”, “application/json;”); conn.setRequestProperty(“Accept”, “application/json”); conn.setDoOutput(true); conn.setRequestProperty (“Authorization”, basicAuth); //String directInput = “{\“msisdn\”:\“22997858711\”,\“amount\”:1400,\“transref\”:\“QOVNPVTRATYCBK8VIL1A\”,\“clientid\”:\“UBHQ\”}”; DepositObject d = new DepositObject(); d.setMsisdn(“22997858711”); d.setAmount(35); d.setTransref(“QOVNPVTRATYCBK8VIL1A”); d.setClientid(“UHBQ”); Gson gson = new Gson(); String jsonInput = gson.toJson(d).toString(); OutputStream os = conn.getOutputStream(); os.write(jsonInput.getBytes()); os.flush(); if (conn.getResponseCode() != 200) { throw new RuntimeException("Failed : HTTP error code : " + conn.getResponseCode()); } BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader( (conn.getInputStream()))); String output; while ((output = br.readLine()) != null) { System.out.println(output); } conn.disconnect(); } catch (MalformedURLException e) { e.printStackTrace(); } catch (IOException e) { e.printStackTrace(); } }

- LAKATAN Adebayo G. Wilfried

Hai I have to develop a program for get and post request can you help me for that.

- Krishnan

Hi Pankaj, I have one small required with this HTTP post connection, in postman I am using post method to pass a url and content from body section choosing raw option. I am able to open the connection but not sure how to post this body content in post call. can you please advise. Thanks in advance

- Teena

here is my function below : , connection is made successfully because i receive response 200 but it send blank data to the POST request. hence my POST request makes entry to db with all fields blank except id i.e. which I am generating on POST request on server side. Note : when I capture the url and json string on debug mode , and send same through POSTMAN , data gets created successfully at DB and i receive 200. I am clueless now, how to debug the issue public static int POST(String urlstr, String jsonbody) { URL url = null; HttpURLConnection urlConnection = null; String result = “”; try { url = new URL(urlstr); urlConnection = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection(); urlConnection.setConnectTimeout(5000); urlConnection.setRequestProperty(“Content-Type”, “application/json”); urlConnection.setRequestProperty(“Accept”, “application/json”); urlConnection.setDoInput(true); urlConnection.setDoOutput(true); urlConnection.setRequestMethod(“POST”); OutputStream wr = urlConnection.getOutputStream(); wr.write(jsonbody.getBytes()); wr.flush(); wr.close(); System.out.println(“response code from server” + urlConnection.getResponseCode()); return urlConnection.getResponseCode(); } catch (Exception e) { e.printStackTrace(); return 500; }finally { urlConnection.disconnect(); } }

- seema

Hello I have to send a GET request with parameter and get Json response from third party using API key. Kindly help.

- Ramya

How can i send a request body which contains nested Json for example using java.net.HttpURLConnection:- { “moduleId”: “abc”, “properties”: { “desired”: { “Graphs”: { “PersonDetection”: { “location”: “https://graphexample.yaml”, “version”: 1, “parameters”: {}, “enabled”: true, “status”: “started” } } } }

- Neha

Hi , I am using Post method to send JSON object through proxy setting and header . Response I am getting 500 Internal server Error ? Please help me. Thx

- Paddy

I am getting error while sending below: Response Code: 405 Response: {“Message”:“The requested resource does not support http method ‘POST’.”} My Code: URL obj = new URL(strWebServiceUrl); con = (HttpsURLConnection) obj.openConnection(); //add request header //con.setRequestMethod(“GET”); con.setRequestProperty(“Content-Type”, “text/plain”); con.setRequestProperty(strHeaderKey, strHeaderValue); con.setDoOutput(true); os = con.getOutputStream(); os.flush(); int responseCode = con.getResponseCode(); if(responseCode!=200) { in = new BufferedReader( new InputStreamReader(con.getErrorStream())); } else { in = new BufferedReader( new InputStreamReader(con.getInputStream())); } String inputLine; StringBuffer response = new StringBuffer(); while ((inputLine = in.readLine()) != null) { response.append(inputLine); } if(responseCode!=200) { logger.error("Error Response Code from webservice is “+responseCode+” Response: “+response.toString()); System.out.println(response.toString()); } else { logger.info(” SUCCESSFUL response from web service: "+response.toString()); System.out.println(response.toString()); }

- Prem C

Hi Pankaj, I am trying to invoke a REST API. I am getting the proper response when invoked from POSTMAN. But, when I am trying to call from a Java program, I am getting the response in some junk characters. try { URL url = new URL(“https://ucf5-zodx-fa-ext.oracledemos.com/fscmRestApi/resources/11.13.18.05/erpintegrations”);//your url i.e fetch data from . SOAPHttpsURLConnection conn = (SOAPHttpsURLConnection) url.openConnection(); conn.setRequestMethod(“POST”); String authString = “fin_impl” + “:” + “…”; // masked the password for security reasons String encodedAuth = Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString(authString.getBytes()); String authHeader = “Basic " + encodedAuth; conn.setRequestProperty (“Authorization”, authHeader); conn.setRequestProperty(“Content-Type”,“application/json”); conn.setRequestProperty(“Accept”,“application/json”); conn.setRequestProperty(“Accept-Encoding”,“gzip”); conn.setConnectTimeout(5000); conn.setDoOutput(true); OutputStreamWriter wr = new OutputStreamWriter(conn.getOutputStream()); String output = “{ “; output = output + “\””+“OperationName”+”\”:" + “\”" + “importBulkData” + “\”,“; output = output + “\””+“DocumentContent”+“\”:" + “\”" + “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” + “\”,“; output = output + “\””+“ContentType”+“\”:" + “\”" + “zip” + “\”,“; output = output + “\””+“FileName”+“\”:" + “\”" + “apinvoiceimport.zip” + “\”,“; output = output + “\””+“JobName”+“\”:" + “\”" + “oracle/apps/ess/financials/payables/invoices/transactions,APXIIMPT” + “\”,“; output = output + “\””+“ParameterList”+“\”:" + “\”" + “#NULL,US1 Business Unit,#NULL,#NULL,#NULL,#NULL,#NULL,External,#NULL,#NULL,#NULL,1,#NULL” + “\”“; output = output + " }”; System.out.println(“before writing… " + output); wr.write(output); wr.flush(); BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(conn.getInputStream(), “UTF-8”)); while ((responseLine = br.readLine()) != null) { System.out.println(”… "+ responseLine + " … "); response.append(responseLine); } conn.disconnect(); } catch (Exception e) { System.out.println("Exception in NetClientGet:- " + e); } I am getting some junk and non-printable characters in the response. something as below: … ? Please help. Thanks, Hari

- Lakshmi Hari

Hi Pankaj, thank you so much for the post. I have an issue. When i’m trying to do a POST, i do : HttpsURLConnection con = (HttpsURLConnection) obj.openConnection(); But when it try to do : OutputStream os = con.getOutputStream(); This happened: javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: Received fatal alert: handshake_failure Is weird because when i did a POST to a google service it worked well, but with other API has this exception. Thak you for your help.

- Julian

HttpURLConnection sets “connection: keep-alive” by default for every request. I have written a HTTP server and I am keeping the TCP connection open as request header contains keep-alive. But when sending second request, HttpURLConnection is opening new TCP connection. Shouldn’t it use first TCP connection itself. I have tried closing input stream and disconnecting HttpURLConnection instance, but still HttpURLConnection instance always opens a new TCP connection. I have even tried setting property “http.maxConnections” to “1”. Is there any way in android to send multiple HTTP requests on a single persistent TCP connection ?

- Harish