Replace urllib with the requests package

conda.recipe/meta.yaml

@@ -12,13 +12,15 @@ requirements:
     - "numpy>=1.13"
     - "pandas>=0.23"
     - "bokeh>=0.13"
+    - requests
     - numba
 
   run:
     - python
     - "numpy>=1.13"
     - "pandas>=0.23"
     - "bokeh>=0.13"
+    - requests
     - numba
 
 test:

environment.yml

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ dependencies:
 - "numpy>=1.13"
 - "pandas>=0.23"
 - "bokeh>=0.13"
+- requests
 - numba
 - pytest
 - pytest-pep8

taxcalc/calculator.py

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 import os
 import re
 import copy
-import urllib
+import requests
 import numpy as np
 import pandas as pd
 from taxcalc.calcfunctions import (TaxInc, SchXYZTax, GainsTax, AGIsurtax,
@@ -1102,7 +1102,9 @@ def read_json_param_objects(reform, assump):
             if os.path.isfile(assump):
                 txt = open(assump, 'r').read()
             elif assump.startswith('http'):
-                txt = urllib.request.urlopen(assump).read().decode()
+                req = requests.get(assump)
+                req.raise_for_status()
+                txt = req.text
             else:
                 txt = assump
             (cons_dict,
@@ -1117,7 +1119,9 @@ def read_json_param_objects(reform, assump):
             if os.path.isfile(reform):
                 txt = open(reform, 'r').read()
             elif reform.startswith('http'):
-                txt = urllib.request.urlopen(reform).read().decode()
+                req = requests.get(reform)
+                req.raise_for_status()
+                txt = req.text
             else:
                 txt = reform
             rpol_dict = (
@@ -1159,7 +1163,9 @@ def read_json_assumptions(assump):
             if os.path.isfile(assump):
                 txt = open(assump, 'r').read()
             elif assump.startswith('http'):
-                txt = urllib.request.urlopen(assump).read().decode()
+                req = requests.get(assump)
+                req.raise_for_status()
+                txt = req.text
             else:
                 txt = assump
             # strip out //-comments without changing line numbers

taxcalc/tests/test_calculator.py

@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
 from io import StringIO
 import tempfile
 import copy
-import urllib
 import pytest
+import requests
 import numpy as np
 import pandas as pd
 from taxcalc import Policy, Records, Calculator, Consumption
@@ -1213,7 +1213,7 @@ def test_read_json_assumptions(assumption_file):
     assert isinstance(Calculator.read_json_assumptions(None), dict)
     with pytest.raises(ValueError):
         Calculator.read_json_assumptions(list())
-    with pytest.raises(urllib.request.URLError):
+    with pytest.raises(requests.exceptions.ConnectionError):
         Calculator.read_json_assumptions('http://unknown-url')
     assump_filename = assumption_file.name
     file_dict = Calculator.read_json_assumptions(assump_filename)