Apache HttpClient DELETE HTTP Request Example

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Apache HttpClient Tutorial

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Introduction

Apache HttpClient is a powerful and flexible library for handling HTTP requests in Java. It supports various HTTP methods, including GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and more. In this tutorial, we will focus on making a DELETE HTTP request using Apache HttpClient. DELETE requests are typically used to remove a resource from the server. We will demonstrate how to send a DELETE request and handle the response.

Maven Dependencies

To use Apache HttpClient, you need to add the following dependency to your pom.xml file:

<!-- https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/org.apache.httpcomponents.client5/httpclient5 -->
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.httpcomponents.client5</groupId>
    <artifactId>httpclient5</artifactId>
    <version>5.3</version>
</dependency>

Example Scenario

We will create a simple Java class that sends a DELETE request to a specified URL and prints the response.

JSONPlaceholder API

We will use the JSONPlaceholder API for this example. The JSONPlaceholder API provides fake online RESTful endpoints for testing and prototyping. The URL for the DELETE endpoint is:

https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1

Java Class for Sending DELETE Request

Create a class named HttpClientDeleteExample with the following code:

import org.apache.hc.client5.http.classic.methods.HttpDelete;
import org.apache.hc.client5.http.classic.methods.CloseableHttpResponse;
import org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.CloseableHttpClient;
import org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.HttpClients;
import org.apache.hc.core5.http.io.entity.EntityUtils;

public class HttpClientDeleteExample {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String url = "https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/1";

        // Create HttpClient
        try (CloseableHttpClient httpClient = HttpClients.createDefault()) {
            
            // Create HttpDelete request
            HttpDelete request = new HttpDelete(url);
            
            // Execute the request
            try (CloseableHttpResponse response = httpClient.execute(request)) {
                
                // Get HttpResponse Status
                System.out.println("Response Code: " + response.getCode());
                
                // Get HttpResponse Content
                String content = EntityUtils.toString(response.getEntity());
                System.out.println("Response Content: \n" + content);
            }
        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

Explanation

1. Adding Maven Dependencies:

   • The org.apache.httpcomponents.client5:httpclient5 dependency provides the classes needed to create and execute HTTP requests using Apache HttpClient.

2. Creating HttpClient:

   • CloseableHttpClient httpClient = HttpClients.createDefault(); creates an instance of CloseableHttpClient using the default configuration.

3. Creating HttpDelete Request:

   • HttpDelete request = new HttpDelete(url); creates an HttpDelete request for the specified URL.

4. Executing the Request:

   • try (CloseableHttpResponse response = httpClient.execute(request)) { ... } executes the DELETE request and retrieves the response.

5. Getting HttpResponse Status:

   • System.out.println("Response Code: " + response.getCode()); prints the status code of the HTTP response.

6. Getting HttpResponse Content:

   • String content = EntityUtils.toString(response.getEntity()); converts the response entity to a string and prints the content.

Running the Example

To run the example, simply execute the HttpClientDeleteExample class. You should see the status code and the response content printed in the console.

Example Output

Response Code: 200
Response Content: 
{}

Additional Configuration

Setting Custom Headers

You can set custom headers for the DELETE request by using the setHeader method on the HttpDelete object.

request.setHeader("User-Agent", "Mozilla/5.0");

Handling Redirects

By default, Apache HttpClient handles redirects automatically. You can customize this behavior by using a custom HttpClientBuilder.

CloseableHttpClient httpClient = HttpClients.custom()
    .setRedirectStrategy(new DefaultRedirectStrategy() {
        @Override
        protected boolean isRedirectable(String method) {
            return true;
        }
    })
    .build();

Setting Timeouts

You can set connection and socket timeouts by using RequestConfig.

RequestConfig requestConfig = RequestConfig.custom()
    .setConnectTimeout(5000)
    .setSocketTimeout(5000)
    .build();

HttpDelete request = new HttpDelete(url);
request.setConfig(requestConfig);

Conclusion

Using Apache HttpClient to make a DELETE HTTP request is straightforward and flexible. By following this tutorial, you should now be able to create and execute DELETE requests, handle responses, and customize various aspects of the HTTP request and response process. Apache HttpClient provides a comprehensive set of features that make it an excellent choice for handling HTTP operations in Java applications. The JSONPlaceholder API serves as a practical and convenient source for testing and prototyping your HTTP requests.

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Apache HttpClient Tutorial

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