feat: Allow sending data with the POST verb

Use the -d command-line parameter, like curl.

README.md

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ Usage: nettime [options] <URL>
 Options:
 
   -V, --version             output the version number
+  -d, --data <data>         data to be sent using the POST verb
   -e, --ignore-certificate  ignore certificate errors
   -f, --format <format>     set output format: text, json
   -H, --header <header>     send specific HTTP header
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ Options:
   -h, --help                output usage information
 
 The default output format is "text" and time unit "ms".
-Options "HiIXoU" are the same as "HiIXou" for curl.
+Options "HiIXdoU" are the same as "HiIXdou" for curl.
 Timings are printed to the standard output.
 ```
 
@@ -78,8 +79,9 @@ The input object can contain:
 
 * `url`: string with a URL to make the request with.
 * `credentials`: object with `username` and `password` string properties to be used for formatting of the Basic Authentication HTTP header.
+* `data`: string or Buffer to send to the server using the HTTP verb `POST` and the content type `application/x-www-form-urlencoded` by default.
 * `headers`: object with header names as string keys and header values as string values.
-* `method`: HTTP verb to use in the HTTP request: `GET` (default) or `HEAD`.
+* `method`: HTTP verb to use in the HTTP request; `GET` is the default, unless `-i` or `-d` options are not set.
 * `outputFile`: file path to write the received data to.
 * `rejectUnauthorized`: boolean to refuse finishing the HTTPS request, is set to `true` (the default), if validation of the web site certificate fails; setting it to `false` makes the request ignore certificate errors.
 * `returnResponse`: includes property `response` (`Buffer`) with the received data in the promised result object.

bin/nettime

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ commander.version(pkg.version)
          .description(pkg.description)
          .usage('[options] <URL>')
          .option('-e, --ignore-certificate', 'ignore certificate errors')
+         .option('-d, --data <data>', 'data to be sent using the POST verb')
          .option('-f, --format <format>', 'set output format: text, json')
          .option('-H, --header <header>', 'send specific HTTP header', collect, [])
          .option('-i, --include', 'include response headers in the output file')
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ commander.version(pkg.version)
 commander.on('--help', function () {
   console.log()
   console.log('  The default output format is "text" and time unit "ms".')
-  console.log('  Options "HiIXoU" are the same as "HiIXou" for curl.')
+  console.log('  Options "HiIXdoU" are the same as "HiIXdou" for curl.')
   console.log('  Timings are printed to the standard output.')
   console.log()
   console.log('  Examples:')
@@ -73,7 +74,9 @@ if (credentials) {
 
 nettime({
   url: url,
-  method: commander.head ? 'HEAD' : commander.request || 'GET',
+  data: commander.data,
+  method: commander.request || (commander.head ? 'HEAD'
+    : commander.data ? 'POST' : 'GET'),
   headers: headers,
   credentials: credentials,
   outputFile: commander.output,

lib/nettime.js

@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ function nettime (options) {
     }
 
     start = process.hrtime()
-    protocol.get(parameters, localResponse => {
+    const request = protocol.request(parameters, localResponse => {
       let firstByte
       function checkFirstByte () {
         if (!firstByte) {
@@ -102,6 +102,12 @@ function nettime (options) {
       })
     })
     .on('error', reject)
+
+    const inputData = options.data
+    if (inputData) {
+      request.write(inputData)
+    }
+    request.end()
   })
 
   function getParameters () {
@@ -122,7 +128,14 @@ function nettime (options) {
       headers['authorization'] = 'Basic ' + Buffer.from(
         credentials.username + ':' + credentials.password).toString('base64')
     }
-    parameters.method = options.method
+    const data = options.data
+    if (data) {
+      if (!headers['content-type']) {
+        headers['content-type'] = 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'
+      }
+      headers['content-length'] = Buffer.byteLength(data)
+    }
+    parameters.method = options.method || (data ? 'POST' : 'GET')
     parameters.agent = false
     return parameters
   }

tests/test.js

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const ipAddress = '127.0.0.1'
 const unsecurePort = 8899
 const securePort = 9988
 const servers = []
-let lastHeaders, lastMethod
+let lastHeaders, lastMethod, lastData
 
 function createServer (protocol, port, options) {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
@@ -32,17 +32,30 @@ function readCertificate (name) {
 function serve (request, response) {
   setTimeout(() => {
     const url = request.url
-    const statusCode = url === '/' ? 204 : url === '/data' ? 200 : 404
+    const upload = url === '/upload'
+    const statusCode = url === '/' ? 204 : url === '/data' || upload ? 200 : 404
+
+    function sendResponse () {
+      response.writeHead(statusCode, {
+        test: 'ok'
+      })
+      if (statusCode === 200) {
+        response.write('data')
+      }
+      response.end()
+    }
 
     lastHeaders = request.headers
     lastMethod = request.method
-    response.writeHead(statusCode, {
-      test: 'ok'
-    })
-    if (statusCode === 200) {
-      response.write('data')
+    if (upload) {
+      lastData = ''
+      request.on('data', function (data) {
+        lastData += data
+      })
+      .on('end', sendResponse)
+    } else {
+      sendResponse()
     }
-    response.end()
   }, 1)
 }
 
@@ -65,7 +78,7 @@ function makeRequest (protocol, host, port, path, options) {
   const https = protocol === 'https'
   const url = protocol + '://' + host + ':' + port + (path || '')
   let credentials, headers, method, outputFile, returnResponse
-  let includeHeaders
+  let includeHeaders, data
   if (options) {
     if (options.username) {
       credentials = options
@@ -77,13 +90,16 @@ function makeRequest (protocol, host, port, path, options) {
     } else if (options.returnResponse) {
       returnResponse = true
       includeHeaders = options.includeHeaders
+    } else if (options.data) {
+      data = options.data
     } else {
       headers = options
     }
   }
   return nettime(https || options ? {
     url: url,
     credentials: credentials,
+    data: data,
     headers: headers,
     includeHeaders: includeHeaders,
     method: method,
@@ -327,6 +343,18 @@ test.test('test writing an output file with headers', function (test) {
   .then(test.end)
 })
 
+test.test('test posting data', function (test) {
+  return makeRequest('http', ipAddress, unsecurePort, '/upload', {
+    data: 'test=ok'
+  })
+  .then(result => {
+    test.equal(lastMethod, 'POST')
+    test.equal(lastData, 'test=ok')
+  })
+  .catch(test.threw)
+  .then(test.end)
+})
+
 test.test('stop testing servers', function (test) {
   stopServers()
   test.end()