get

A convenient HTTP CLI with expressive inline request syntax.

get starts simple (GET a URL) and scales to real request building with:

• headers (Header:Value)
• query params (name==value)
• body fields (path=value)
• typed JSON values (path:=json)

Install

brew install jclem/tap/get

Or run directly in this repo:

cargo run -- <args>

Quick Start

# Plain GET
get https://httpbin.org/get

# Add a header
get https://httpbin.org/headers Authorization:Bearer_token

# Add query params
get https://httpbin.org/get q==rust page==1

# Send a JSON body (auto-switches method to POST)
get https://httpbin.org/anything title=ship-it

Request Input Syntax

Every extra argument after the URL is parsed as one of these forms:

Form	Meaning	Example
Header:Value	Request header	Accept:application/json
name==value	Query parameter	q==hello
path=value	Body string assignment	title=fix-parser-docs
path:=json	Body typed JSON assignment	count:=10, enabled:=true

Parser precedence is:

1. path:=json
2. name==value
3. Header:Value
4. path=value

This matters when syntax could overlap.

Headers

Use : to set headers:

get https://api.example.com/me \
  Authorization:Bearer_sk_live_123 \
  X-Trace-Id:abc-123

Notes:

• Header names allow letters, numbers, -, and _.
• Header values may contain additional : characters.
• Repeating a header name is appended.

Query Params

Use == to append query params:

get https://api.example.com/search \
  q==observability \
  sort==updated \
  tag==rust \
  tag==cli

Resulting URL contains repeated keys when repeated in input (for example tag=rust&tag=cli).

Notes:

• Query names can contain almost any character except =.
• Empty values are allowed (for example q==).

Body Syntax

String assignment (=)

= always stores a JSON string value:

get https://api.example.com/issues \
  title=fix-login-redirect \
  meta.priority=high

Body produced:

{
  "title": "fix-login-redirect",
  "meta": {
    "priority": "high"
  }
}

Typed assignment (:=)

:= parses the right side as JSON:

get https://api.example.com/issues \
  count:=10 \
  is_draft:=false \
  'labels:=["bug","urgent"]' \
  'owner:={"id":42,"name":"jules"}'

Body produced:

{
  "count": 10,
  "is_draft": false,
  "labels": ["bug", "urgent"],
  "owner": {
    "id": 42,
    "name": "jules"
  }
}

Path expressions

path supports nested objects and arrays:

# Nested object keys
project.name=apollo

# Bracket keys (useful for special chars)
project[build.version]=v1

# Array append
items[]=a
items[]=b

# Array index
items[0]=first
items[2]=third

# Root array
[]=first
[]=second

Mixed Example: Header + Query + Body

get -X POST https://api.example.com/tasks \
  Authorization:Bearer_token \
  X-Request-Id:req-123 \
  expand==owner \
  expand==labels \
  title=write-readme \
  priority:=2 \
  labels:=["docs","cli"] \
  owner[id]:=42

Method Selection Rules

• Default method is GET.
• If body input exists (= or :=) and no -X/--method is set, method becomes POST.
• -X/--method always wins.

Examples:

# Auto POST because body exists
get https://httpbin.org/anything title=hello

# Force GET even with body
get -X GET https://httpbin.org/anything title=hello

Unix Sockets

get can send requests over Unix domain sockets using two URL formats:

• unix:<socket>:<path> — explicit prefix
• /<socket>:<path> — shorthand (any URL starting with /)

If <path> is omitted, it defaults to /.

# GET / on a Unix socket
get unix:/tmp/app.sock

# GET /health on a Unix socket
get unix:/tmp/app.sock:/health

# Shorthand form
get /tmp/app.sock:/health

# POST with body
get /tmp/app.sock:/api/items title=hello

Useful Flags

# Show request + response headers
get -v https://httpbin.org/get

# Print request and exit (no network call)
get --dry-run https://httpbin.org/post title=preview

# Send body as x-www-form-urlencoded instead of JSON
get --form https://httpbin.org/post title=hello meta[level]:=2

# Stream response body as it arrives
get --stream https://httpbin.org/stream/20

# Disable response body output
get -B https://httpbin.org/get

# Disable response formatting + syntax highlighting
get -H https://httpbin.org/json

Sessions and Profiles

get can persist selected headers per host/session and manage profiles:

# Show session/profile commands
get session --help
get profile --help

# Switch active profile
get session switch work

# Inspect a saved session
get session show api.example.com

To edit config (including session-headers):

get config edit

Example config snippet:

session-headers = ["Authorization", "x-api-key"]

[sessions."api.example.com"]
session-headers = ["x-session-token"]

When requesting api.example.com, host-specific session-headers replace the global list (no merge).

Shell Completions

get completions zsh
get completions bash
get completions fish

Tips

• With :=, JSON must be valid. Use JSON strings when needed: name:='"alice"'.
• Use --dry-run when building complex request syntax to verify the final request before sending.
• Response formatting (JSON/HTML) and syntax highlighting are enabled only when stdout is a TTY; -H/--no-highlight disables both.