Question 1

How to install curl with a custom libcurl version on MacOS?

Accepted Answer

Follow the README instructions: install curl via Homebrew, set PKG_CONFIG_PATH to point to the new libcurl, and reinstall the R package from source in a clean session. This ensures compatibility but requires careful environment management.

Question 2

What's the difference between curl and httr2 in R?

Accepted Answer

curl provides low-level bindings to libcurl for full control over web requests, while httr2 builds on it with http-specific tools and a more user-friendly interface. Use curl for advanced customization and httr2 for simpler, high-level HTTP tasks.

Question 3

How to stream large responses with curl without loading into memory?

Accepted Answer

Use the callback or connection interfaces in curl to process data incrementally. The README mentions streaming support, allowing you to handle large files or real-time data efficiently by writing to disk or processing chunks on the fly.

Question 4

Can I use curl for FTP file transfers in R scripts?

Accepted Answer

Yes, curl supports FTP and SCP protocols through libcurl bindings. You can configure request options for authentication and file handling, making it suitable for automated data transfer tasks within R.

Question 5

Is curl better than RCurl for web scraping?

Accepted Answer

curl is more modern and actively maintained, with better integration into the R ecosystem via packages like httr2. It offers similar low-level control but with a cleaner interface and ongoing updates, while RCurl is older and less frequently updated.

Question 6

How to set custom headers and authentication in curl?

Accepted Answer

Leverage libcurl options via curl's functions to set headers, cookies, or authentication methods like OAuth. The package provides direct access to these settings, but you'll need to refer to libcurl documentation for specific option names and values.

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