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Curlie
Curlie: curl’s power with httpie’s friendly syntax
Curlie combines curl’s full-featured capabilities with httpie’s intuitive command syntax, delivering a fast, pretty-printed CLI for API testing and debugging across platforms.
Overview
Overview
Curlie is a command‑line tool that wraps the robustness of curl with the simplicity of httpie. It targets developers, DevOps engineers, and API testers who need the complete feature set of curl but prefer a cleaner, more readable syntax.
Core Capabilities
All native curl options remain accessible, enhanced by syntax sugar that mirrors httpie’s request format. Responses, especially JSON, are automatically pretty‑printed, and output is streamed without buffering, making it ideal for real‑time debugging. The --curl flag reveals the exact curl command for documentation or sharing.
Installation & Deployment
Available via Homebrew, MacPorts, Scoop, apt‑compatible packages, and direct Go installation, Curlie runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows. Binary releases are compiled with Go, ensuring consistent performance across environments.
Highlights
Full access to every curl option with httpie‑style syntax
Automatic pretty‑printed JSON output
Streaming response handling without buffering
`--curl` flag to display the generated curl command
Pros
- All curl functionalities remain available
- Intuitive, concise command syntax
- Readable, formatted output for JSON
- Cross‑platform binary distribution
Considerations
- Learning curve for mixed curl and httpie syntax
- Headers are sent to stderr, requiring redirection for scripts
- No graphical user interface
- Formatting adds slight overhead for extremely large responses
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Fit guide
Great for
- Developers needing full curl power with simpler commands
- Terminal‑based API testing and debugging
- Cross‑platform scripting with pre‑compiled binaries
- Users who want pretty‑printed JSON responses
Not ideal when
- Those requiring a GUI HTTP client
- Environments where stderr cannot be captured
- Ultra‑high‑throughput streaming where any formatting overhead is unacceptable
- Projects that need built‑in authentication UI
How teams use it
Quick API GET request
Retrieve and view JSON responses with automatic pretty‑printing, reducing manual parsing.
Testing POST with JSON payload
Send custom headers and JSON body using concise syntax, see formatted response instantly.
Debugging streamed data
Observe live response streams without buffering, useful for SSE or large file downloads.
Generating reproducible curl commands
Use --curl flag to output the exact curl command for documentation or sharing.
Tech snapshot
Go99%
Shell1%
Frequently asked questions
Do I need curl installed to use curlie?
Curlie invokes the system curl binary; ensure curl is available in your PATH.
How do I get pretty‑printed JSON output?
Pass the --pretty flag or run curlie interactively; JSON is formatted on the fly.
Can I see the exact curl command being executed?
Yes, use the --curl option to print the generated curl command.
Is curlie available on Windows?
Installation methods include Scoop and a PowerShell script, providing Windows binaries.
What license governs curlie?
Curlie is released under the MIT license.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 3,567
- Watchers
- 3,567
- Forks
- 114
LicenseMIT
Repo age7 years old
Last commitlast month
Primary languageGo
Last synced yesterday