Making Your Command Line Output Beautiful: Mastering the Art of curl with --pretty
Ever found yourself staring at a wall of text when using curl to fetch data from an API? It can be overwhelming, especially when you're dealing with complex JSON responses. Fear not! The --pretty option in curl is your secret weapon for making your output beautiful and easily readable.
What is curl --pretty?
curl --pretty is a powerful tool for formatting the output of curl commands, especially when dealing with JSON responses. It allows you to transform raw JSON data into a more human-readable format, making it much easier to analyze and understand.
Why Use curl --pretty?
- Clarity: The
--prettyoption organizes your output in a structured, indented format, making it easy to understand the hierarchy and relationships within your JSON data. - Readability: The output becomes much more visually appealing, simplifying the task of finding specific information within a large response.
- Efficiency: By presenting data in a clear and organized way,
curl --prettysaves you time and effort when it comes to analyzing and interpreting responses.
How to Use curl --pretty
The basic syntax is straightforward:
curl --pretty-print
Replace <URL> with the target API endpoint you want to fetch data from. This command tells curl to format the output using a standard, easy-to-read indentation.
Beyond the Basics: Advanced Formatting Options
curl --pretty offers a range of customization options to tailor the output to your specific needs. Here are some examples:
Formatting with -F:
curl --pretty-format "%{url}: %{http_code} - %{time_total:.2f}s - %{size_download}"
This example formats the output to display the URL, HTTP status code, total request time, and download size.
Formatting with JSON Path Expressions:
curl --pretty-format "[%{@.name}, %{@.age}]"
This command uses JSON Path expressions to extract specific data elements from your JSON response. In this example, it retrieves the values of "name" and "age" from the JSON.
Using a Custom Format:
You can also define your own custom format using a template string:
curl --pretty-format "{\\\"url\\\": \\\"%{url}\\\", \\\"http_code\\\": \\\"%{http_code}\\\", \\\"size_download\\\": \\\"%{size_download}\\\"}"
This example constructs a JSON object with the desired fields and their values.
Examples
Example 1: Fetching Data from a Weather API:
curl --pretty-print https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q=London&appid=
This command retrieves weather data for London and formats the output in a clear, indented JSON format.
Example 2: Extracting Specific Information:
curl --pretty-format "[%{@.results[0].name}, %{@.results[0].address}]" https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/textsearch/output=json?query=Starbucks+New+York&key=
This command fetches location information for Starbucks in New York City and extracts the name and address of the first result using JSON Path expressions.
Conclusion
curl --pretty is a game-changer for interacting with APIs. It transforms raw, unreadable output into beautiful, easily understandable information. By leveraging --pretty's options, you can customize the output to meet your specific requirements, making your command line interactions with APIs a breeze.