http.rbvsmechanize
http is an HTTP library for Ruby, it's a fork of the Ruby standard library Net::HTTP. It is designed to provide a more modern and consistent API for making HTTP requests and handling responses.
One of the main goals of http is to simplify the process of making HTTP requests and handling responses. It provides a consistent API for making requests and handling responses across different versions of Ruby and different HTTP libraries, making it easier to write cross-compatible code.
http supports all the standard HTTP methods such as GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and PATCH, and allows you to set headers, query parameters, and request bodies.
Mechanize is a Ruby library for automating interaction with websites. It automatically stores and sends cookies, follows redirects, and can submit forms — making it behave like a web browser without needing an actual browser engine.
Key features include:
- Automatic cookie management Stores cookies received from servers and sends them back on subsequent requests, maintaining session state across multiple pages.
- Form handling Can find, fill in, and submit HTML forms programmatically. Supports text inputs, selects, checkboxes, radio buttons, and file uploads.
- Link following Navigate through pages by clicking links using their text content, CSS selectors, or href patterns.
- History and back/forward Maintains a browsing history, allowing you to go back and forward through visited pages.
- HTTP authentication Supports basic and digest HTTP authentication.
- Proxy support Can route requests through HTTP proxies.
- Redirect handling Automatically follows HTTP redirects (configurable).
Mechanize is one of the oldest and most established web interaction libraries in Ruby. It is best suited for scraping traditional server-rendered websites with forms and multi-page workflows. For JavaScript-heavy sites, a browser automation tool like Selenium or Playwright is recommended instead.