http-service

1.1.3 verified Fri May 01 auth: no javascript maintenance

A simple Node.js module wrapping Node's native http/https module, targeting JSON data exchange between servers. Version 1.1.3 provides GET, POST, PUT, DELETE requests with both callback and Promise support. It allows base URL initialization and can be subclassed for custom service APIs. Limited documentation and low maintenance activity; no significant updates since 2018. Suitable for simple JSON-based server-to-server communication but lacks advanced features like interceptors, retries, or streaming support found in Axios or Got.

Common errors

error Cannot find module 'http-service' ↓

cause Package not installed or not in node_modules.

fix

Run 'npm install http-service' in your project directory.

error TypeError: service.get is not a function ↓

cause Trying to call method on the class itself instead of an instance.

fix

Create an instance: const service = new HttpService(); then call service.get().

error Error: getaddrinfo ENOTFOUND ↓

cause Invalid or unreachable hostname passed to init.

fix

Ensure the URL is correct and the server is reachable. Use an IP or valid domain.

Warnings

gotcha The `init` method does not validate the URL or handle protocol errors gracefully; invalid URLs may cause unhandled exceptions. ↓

fix Always validate the URL before calling init, and use try-catch around instantiation.

deprecated Callbacks are the primary pattern but Promise support exists; mixing both in the same codebase can lead to confusion. ↓

fix Choose one pattern (prefer callbacks for consistency) and stick to it.

gotcha The library does not support HTTPS strict SSL by default; self-signed certificates may cause failures unless NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED is set. ↓

fix Set environment variable NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=0 (not recommended for production) or use a custom agent.

gotcha Query parameters are passed as an object, but the library does not deeply serialize nested objects; only first-level keys are sent. ↓

fix Serialize nested query parameters manually using a library like qs or querystring.

Install

npm install http-service

yarn add http-service

pnpm add http-service

Imports

HttpService

wrong

import HttpService from 'http-service';

correct

const HttpService = require('http-service');

Package is CJS only, no ESM exports. Use require() exclusively.

Constructor new HttpService(url)
wrong
```
HttpService.init('https://example.com');
```
correct
```
const service = new HttpService('https://example.com');
```
init() is an instance method for later initialization, not a static method. The constructor accepts an optional URL string.
Instance methods (get, post, put, delete)
wrong
```
service.get('/path', {query: 1}).then();
```
correct
```
service.get('/path', {query: 1}, callback);
```
If no callback is provided, the method returns a Promise. However, the Promise is not fully documented; prefer using callbacks.

Quickstart

Shows basic usage: creating an instance, initializing with a base URL, and performing GET, POST, and DELETE requests with callbacks and Promises.

const HttpService = require('http-service');

const service = new HttpService();
service.init(process.env.API_URL || 'http://localhost:3000');

// GET with callback
service.get('/data', {limit: 10}, (err, data) => {
  if (err) console.error('Error:', err);
  else console.log('Data:', data);
});

// POST with Promise (no callback)
service.post('/data', {}, {name: 'test'})
  .then(data => console.log('Created:', data))
  .catch(err => console.error('Error:', err));

// DELETE
service.delete('/data/1', {}, (err, result) => {
  if (err) console.error('Delete failed:', err);
  else console.log('Deleted:', result);
});