sl-request: Simplified HTTP Client (Fork of Deprecated 'request')

Common errors

• Error: Cannot find module 'request'

  cause Attempting to `require('request')` or `import 'request'` instead of `sl-request` when the package installed is `sl-request`.
  fix Ensure you are importing the correct package name: `const request = require('sl-request');` or `import request from 'sl-request';`.

• DeprecationWarning: request has been deprecated, see https://github.com/request/request/issues/3142

  cause This warning directly indicates that the underlying `request` library, which `sl-request` is forked from, is deprecated. This warning will appear even for `sl-request` installations due to its origin.
  fix Acknowledge that `sl-request` inherits the deprecation status of its upstream. While the warning is expected, the recommended fix is to migrate to a modern, actively maintained HTTP client.

• TypeError: request is not a function

  cause This usually happens when `request` is imported incorrectly, such as `import { request } from 'sl-request';` instead of a default import, or if the `require` statement doesn't correctly assign the function.
  fix Use the correct import pattern: for ESM `import request from 'sl-request';` or for CJS `const request = require('sl-request');`. The main export is a callable function, not an object with named properties that need destructuring.

Warnings

• breaking The `sl-request` package is a direct fork of the original `request` library, which has been officially deprecated since February 2020 and is no longer maintained. This means `sl-request` inherently carries all the maintenance, security, and architectural issues of the unmaintained `request` library.
  Fix: Migrate to a modern, actively maintained HTTP client like `axios`, `node-fetch`, or `got`. Review your project's dependency tree for `request` or its forks and plan for replacement.
• breaking Due to its unmaintained nature, `sl-request` (and `request`) is susceptible to unpatched security vulnerabilities. Continuing to use it can expose your application to critical security risks, including supply chain attacks, data breaches, or denial-of-service vulnerabilities.
  Fix: Immediately replace `sl-request` with a secure, well-maintained HTTP client. Regularly audit your dependencies using `npm audit` and keep them updated.
• gotcha The API is primarily callback-based, which can lead to 'callback hell' in complex asynchronous flows. While some promise-based wrappers existed for the original `request`, `sl-request` does not natively provide modern `async/await` support without manual promisification.
  Fix: If migrating is not immediately possible, use `util.promisify` from Node.js's built-in `util` module to wrap callback-style functions, or consider a dedicated promise-wrapper library if available for this fork. The better long-term solution is migration.
• gotcha The original `request` library (and thus its forks) was known for potential memory leaks and performance inefficiencies, especially with high concurrency or large data streams, due to its older codebase and lack of modern optimizations.
  Fix: Monitor memory usage and performance closely in production. The most effective fix is to migrate to a modern HTTP client designed with better performance and memory management.

Install

• npm install sl-request npm
• yarn add sl-request yarn
• pnpm add sl-request pnpm

Imports

• request
  wrong:

  const request = require('request');

  correct:

  import request from 'sl-request';

  While `request` was the original package name, this fork is named `sl-request`. This is the primary ESM import pattern. CommonJS `require` is also supported.
• request (CommonJS)
  wrong:

  import request from 'sl-request';

  correct:

  const request = require('sl-request');

  This is the CommonJS import pattern, as shown in the package's README, adjusted for the `sl-request` package name. The underlying `request` library was primarily CJS-focused.
• request.get, request.post
  wrong:

  import { get } from 'sl-request';

  correct:

  import request from 'sl-request';
  request.get('...');

  The `request` library (and thus this fork) exports a main function, with convenience methods like `get` and `post` attached as properties to that function, not as named exports directly from the module.

Quickstart

Demonstrates basic GET request, streaming a file via PUT, and error handling for stream-based operations, using `sl-request`.

import request from 'sl-request';
import fs from 'fs';

// Basic GET request
request('http://www.google.com', function (error, response, body) {
  if (error) {
    console.error('Error:', error);
    return;
  }
  console.log('statusCode:', response && response.statusCode);
  console.log('Body snippet:', body.substring(0, 100) + '...');
});

// Stream a file to a PUT request
// For demonstration, create a dummy file first
fs.writeFileSync('temp_upload.json', JSON.stringify({ message: 'Hello from sl-request' }));

fs.createReadStream('temp_upload.json')
  .pipe(request.put('http://httpbin.org/put', function (error, response, body) {
    if (error) {
      console.error('PUT Error:', error);
      return;
    }
    console.log('PUT statusCode:', response && response.statusCode);
    console.log('PUT Response:', body);
    fs.unlinkSync('temp_upload.json'); // Clean up dummy file
  }));

// Example of error handling for streaming
request.get('http://nonexistent-domain.invalid/image.png')
  .on('error', function(err) {
    console.error('Streaming error caught:', err.message);
  })
  .pipe(fs.createWriteStream('downloaded_image.png'));