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REST Client (VSCode Extension)

REST Client is a Visual Studio Code extension that allows you to send HTTP requests and view responses directly within the editor^[600-developer__tools__vscode__RestClient-Postman.md].

It provides an alternative to standalone API testing tools like [[Postman]], enabling the execution of REST API calls without leaving the development environment^[600-developer__tools__vscode__RestClient-Postman.md].

Usage and Syntax

The extension operates by parsing specially formatted text documents, allowing users to define requests using standard HTTP methods^[600-developer__tools__vscode__RestClient-Postman.md].

A common workflow involves defining variables at the top of the file, which can then be reused throughout the request definitions^[600-developer__tools__vscode__RestClient-Postman.md].

For example, a user can define a base URL and headers as variables, and then construct a POST request to log in^[600-developer__tools__vscode__RestClient-Postman.md].

Request Chaining

Requests can be chained together by capturing values from the response of one request to use in subsequent requests^[600-developer__tools__vscode__RestClient-Postman.md].

This is often done by giving a request a name (e.g., # @name login) and then referencing specific parts of its response body using JSON path syntax (e.g., {{loginCWS.response.body.$.id}})^[600-developer__tools__vscode__RestClient-Postman.md].

Requests within the same file are typically separated by a delimiter of three hash symbols (###)^[600-developer__tools__vscode__RestClient-Postman.md].

Comparison with Other Tools

While similar in function to [[Postman]], REST Client keeps API testing integrated with code and text files, whereas Postman often utilizes a graphical user interface and scripts (such as JavaScript) for handling response data and environment variables^[600-developer__tools__vscode__RestClient-Postman.md].

  • [[HTTP]]
  • [[API]]

Sources

^[600-developer__tools__vscode__RestClient-Postman.md]