The Hyper-Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is perhaps the most significant
protocol used on the Internet today. Web services, network-enabled
appliances and the growth of network computing continue to expand the
role of the HTTP protocol beyond user-driven web browsers, and increase
the number of applications that may require HTTP support.
Although the java.net package provides basic support for accessing
resources via HTTP, it doesn't provide the full flexibility or
functionality needed by many applications. The Jakarta Commons HTTP
Client component seeks to fill this void by providing an efficient,
up-to-date, and feature-rich package implementing the client side of the
most recent HTTP standards and recommendations.
Designed for extension while providing robust support for the base HTTP
protocol, the HTTP Client component may be of interest to anyone
building HTTP-aware client applications such as web browsers, web
service clients, or systems that leverage or extend the HTTP protocol
for distributed communication.