Description:

The Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is perhaps the most
significant protocol used on the Internet today. Web services,
network-enabled appliances and the growth of network computing
continue to expand the role of the HTTP protocol beyond user-driven
web browsers, and increase the number of applications that may require
HTTP support. Although the java.net package provides basic support for
accessing resources via HTTP, it doesn't provide the full flexibility
or functionality needed by many applications. The Commons HTTP Client
component seeks to fill this void by providing an efficient,
up-to-date, and feature-rich package implementing the client side of
the most recent HTTP standards and recommendations. Designed for
extension while providing robust support for the base HTTP protocol,
the HTTP Client component may be of interest to anyone building
HTTP-aware client applications such as web browsers, web service
clients, or systems that leverage or extend the HTTP protocol for
distributed communication.