htty: HTTP TTY, curl meets lynx in an HTTP console

We’ve covered a number of web console tools like Webshell, a nifty HTTP console for Node.js, and Twurl, the Twitter-specific tool for Ruby.

But when Nils Jonsson created an incredibly useful HTTP console with some old-school flair, we took notice. HTTY brings HTTP to a handy terminal shell in what Nils describes as a combination of curl and lynx.

HTTY is installed as a gem:

sudo gem install htty

You can then fire up the console with your API or web site endpoint:

$ htty http://github.com/pengwynn.json
*** Welcome to  htty , the HTTP TTY. Heck To The Yeah!
http://github.com/pengwynn.json>

To make a request, just use the get command

get
*** Type cookies-u[se] to use cookies offered in the response
 200  OK -- 10 headers* -- 27206-character body
http://github.com/pengwynn.json>

To see what we got back from the server, just use body:

$ body
[{"repository":{"description":"(Mac OS) TVShows 2 "Phoenix" is the next iteration of the easiest way to download your favorite TV shows automatically.","has_issues":false,"homepage":"http://embercode.com/tvshows/","fork":false,"has_downloads":true,"watchers":78,"pushed_at":"2010/08/16 14:39:36 -0700","url":"http://github.com/mattprice/TVShows","private":false,"name":"TVShows","owner":"mattprice","forks":10,"has_wiki":false,"created_at":"2009/09/15 17:44:46 -0700","open_issues":7},"created_at":"2010/09/05 21:04:43 -0700","sha":null,"public":true,"actor":"pengwynn"
...

HTTY is incredibly well documented, and the help command lists the full power of the console:

$ help

                                   Navigation

  a[ddress] address            Changes the address of the request
  cd path                      Alias for pa[th-set]
  fol[low]                     Changes the address of the request to the value
                               of the response's 'Location' header
  fragment-c[lear]             Alias for fragment-u[nset]
  fragment-s[et] fragment      Sets the fragment of the request's address
  fragment-u[nset]             Removes the fragment from the request's address
  history                      Displays previous request-response activity in
                               this session
  history-[verbose]            Displays the details of previous request-response
                               activity in this session
  ho[st-set] host              Changes the host of the request's address
  pa[th-set] path              Changes the path of the request's address
  por[t-set] port              Changes the TCP port of the request's address
  query-c[lear]                Alias for query-unset-[all]
  query-s[et] name value       Sets a query string parameter in the request's
                               address
  query-unset name             Removes a query string parameter from the
                               request's address
  query-unset-[all]            Clears the query string of the request's address
  r[euse] index                Copies a previous request by the index number
                               shown in history
  sc[heme-set] scheme          Changes the scheme (protocol identifier) of the
                               request's address
  userinfo-c[lear]             Alias for userinfo-u[nset]
  userinfo-s[et] userinfo      Sets the userinfo of the request's address
  userinfo-u[nset]             Removes the userinfo from the request's address

                               Building Requests

  body-c[lear]                 Alias for body-u[nset]
  body-req[uest]               Displays the body of the request
  body-s[et]                   Sets the body of the request
  body-u[nset]                 Clears the body of the request
  cookie-a[dd] name [value]    Alias for cookies-a[dd]
  cookie-r[emove] name         Alias for cookies-remove
  cookies                      Displays the cookies of the request
  cookies-a[dd] name [value]   Adds a cookie to the request
  cookies-c[lear]              Alias for cookies-remove-[all]
  cookies-remove name          Removes from the request the last cookie having a
                               particular name
  cookies-remove-[all]         Removes all cookies from the request
  cookies-u[se]                Uses cookies offered in the response
  header-s[et] name value      Alias for headers-s[et]
  header-u[nset] name          Alias for headers-unset
  headers-c[lear]              Alias for headers-unset-[all]
  headers-req[uest]            Displays the headers of the request
  headers-s[et] name value     Sets a header of the request
  headers-unset name           Removes a header of the request
  headers-unset-[all]          Removes all headers from the request

                              Inspecting Responses

  body[-response]              Displays the body of the response
  headers[-response]           Displays the headers of the response
  st[atus]                     Displays the status of the response

                                 Miscellaneous

  e[xit]                       Alias for qui[t]
  hel[p] [command]             Displays this help table, or help on the
                               specified command
  qui[t]                       Quits htty

As many readers know, I’m a sucker for embedded humor, so I also got a chuckle from the exit message:

$ quit
*** Happy Trails To You!

[Source on GitHub]