HTTP.verb(url) should return an HTTP::Response object by default, not the body

[tarcieri]

The current API is probably overly simplified:

body = HTTP.get(url)

To get the response object, we have to do this:

response = HTTP.get(url).response

Really it should probably be:

response = HTTP.get(url)
body = response.body

It'd be nice if body were an HTTP::ResponseBody object as well, then we could support streaming like this:

body = HTTP.get(url).body
chunk1 = body.readpartial
chunk2 = body.readpartial

We could also make it Enumerable so you can use it like this if you prefer:

body = HTTP.get(url).body
body.each do |chunk|
  ...
end

[jarinudom]

I actually prefer it the way it is, since like 90% of the time you just want the body anyway.

I'm not married to either way though, I'll use it regardless.

[tarcieri]

The current API has a lot of limitations, especially around streaming. I do like the convenience which is what I was originally going for. Perhaps there can be convenience methods to get to the body in an easy way

[jarinudom]

I really like the AREL-style method chaining and I think it is one of the major draws of this gem (to me, anyway), so maybe in uncertain cases it would be good to look at whatever AREL's philosophy is (which I think would probably point to the HTTP.get(url).body method you pointed to above).

[sferik]

We could alias HTTP::Response#to_s to HTTP::Response#body such this would return the response body as a string:

"#{HTTP.get(url)}"

[tarcieri]

We'd need to delegate HTTP::Response#to_s to HTTP::ResponseBody#to_s actually.

I have a broken WIP implementing some of these changes I can link which might help clarify this stuff ;)

[sferik]

Yes, that’s what I meant.

[tarcieri]

Code speaks louder than words. Here's a WIP. I need to finagle it a little more, pulling in some of the other stuff from Reel: #39

[ghost]

haven't used this gem yet but i think i'd prefer HTTP.verb() to return a response.
body = HTTP.get(…).body looks good to me.

[sferik]

This can be closed, as #39 has been merged.