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C# C# Streams and Data Processing Streaming Data on the Net Text Analytics API Part 1

Aaron Selonke
Aaron Selonke
10,323 Points
Posted by Aaron Selonke
Aaron Selonke
10,323 Points

GET vs POST

I noticed that the Bing News API uses a GET request with a API key header. To send the info up we use the WebClient.DownloadData() method.

and the Bing Text Analytics API uses a POST request to send up a few different Headers and a Payload containing Json Serialized Request object. In the code we use the WebClient.UploadData() method.

The MSDN docs are sometimes rough around the edges, so I'm not sure why we use one vs the other method. Do we use UploadData for POST and DownloadData for GET??

Set me straight =) Thanks

2 Answers

Radosław Olszewski
Radosław Olszewski
21,475 Points
Radosław Olszewski
Radosław Olszewski
21,475 Points

We rather use GET to download and POST to upload. Post is safer method, parameters and data are not displayed in URL and are not stored in browser history or web logs. I think GET can send data but in URL which is easier to sniff and read by 3rd party. POST IS sending data in request payload.

Radosław Olszewski
Radosław Olszewski
21,475 Points
Radosław Olszewski
Radosław Olszewski
21,475 Points

I do not know this API so a can not answer more specific, sorry.

Avan Sharma
Avan Sharma
7,652 Points
Avan Sharma
Avan Sharma
7,652 Points

POST is secured. While sending data via GET adds the data in the url which can be easily interpreted and manipulated. Generally, Login pages, Credit card transaction pages have sensitive information . So POST methods are used to submit page for processing. POST requests do not remain in browser history.

GET requests remains in browser history.