What are the advantages of using cURL over file_get_contents for URL requests with additional requirements in PHP?
When making URL requests with additional requirements in PHP, using cURL over file_get_contents offers more flexibility and control. cURL allows for setting custom headers, handling redirects, supporting various protocols, and performing more advanced HTTP operations. This makes it a better choice for scenarios where fine-tuned control over the request and response is needed.
// Using cURL for URL requests with additional requirements
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, 'https://example.com/api');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, array(
'Authorization: Bearer token',
'Content-Type: application/json'
));
$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);
// Process $response as needed