Programming Snapshot – Multilingual Programming
Tower of Babylon
© Lead Image © Maksym Shevchenko, 123RF.com
We show you how to whip up a script that pulls an HTTP document off the web and how to find out which language offers the easiest approach.
Few programming tasks illuminate the differences between commonly used languages as clearly as that of retrieving a web document. When it comes to shell scripts, admins often turn to the curl utility, which transfers the data behind a URL without much ado and sends them to the standard output.
But, what if the URL points to a black hole? Or the server denies access? And what if the server returns a redirect? For example, curl http://google.com does not return the expected HTML page with the search form but just a note that the desired page may be available on www.google.com. Armed with the -L option, however, curl follows the reference and then returns the data from the source it finds there.
What happens with a huge file like a 4K movie containing many gigabytes of data? Will the process exhaust your RAM because it attempts to swallow everything in a single gulp? Does encryption work automatically for an HTTPS URL using the SSL protocol, and does the utility check the server's certificate correctly so that it does not fall victim to a man-in-the-middle attack? Similar to good old curl, popular programming languages offer all of this, although often only as an add-on package and often requiring quirky approaches.
[...]
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Bottlenecks Discovered by Meta Engineers Lead to Scalability Improvements
Thanks to a small group of engineers at Meta, the Linux kernel module kernfs has been improved, which has led to some serious gains.
-
PwnEscape Poses VM Vulnerability
A guest-to-host escape flaw in Linux KVM, named PwnEscape, might be yet another means of attacking Linux.
-
Linux Mint 27 Set for a Christmas Release
The developers behind Linux Mint have announced a Christmas release, and it looks like Santa's sack will be brimming with features.
-
Is Linus Torvalds Vibe Coding?
The creator of Linux has added AI into his process for Linux kernel development, and it's more than just for debugging.
-
openKylin 3.0 Released with Expanded AI Integration
The latest release features a pre-installed AI agent to help perform tasks.
-
DigitalOcean Ends Open Source Credits Program
In a change that has surprised many open source developers, DigitalOcean has decided to sunset its Open Source Credits Program.
-
Office 365 Available for Testing on Linux via Bottles
Linux users can now test the official Office 365, thanks to Mirko Brombin's work on Bottles.
-
Dutch Government Turns to Open Source for Digital Sovereignty
Following in the footsteps of other European countries, the Netherlands is looking to increase its sovereign digital infrastructure with open source software.
-
Linux May Soon Work on Snapdragon X2-Based PCs
If you're thinking about buying a Snapdragon X2-based desktop or laptop, Linux may soon be an option.
-
KDE for People Initiative Calls for AI Ban in Plasma
A new community of KDE wants the project to adopt a strict no-AI policy for KDE Plasma.