Cookbooks
Rust
Chapter 11. HTML and the Web
Sending an HTTP request with basic authentication

Rust:
Sending an HTTP request with basic authentication

How to:

First, add the necessary crate to your Cargo.toml:

[dependencies]
reqwest = "0.11"
base64 = "0.13"

Now, here’s the Rust code to send a GET request with basic authentication:

use reqwest::header::{Authorization, Basic};
use std::error::Error;

#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
    let client = reqwest::Client::new();
    let user = "Aladdin";
    let password = "open sesame";
    
    let auth = Basic {
        username: user.into(),
        password: Some(password.into()),
    };
    
    let response = client
        .get("http://example.com/secrets")
        .header(Authorization(auth))
        .send()
        .await?;
    
    let content = response.text().await?;
    println!("Response: {}", content);
    
    Ok(())
}

If correct, it’ll print the secrets. You get the gist.

Deep Dive

Before reqwest, you’d see folks wrestle with curl in Rust. It’s like preferring a handsaw over a chainsaw. Basic auth, while easy-peasy, is not Fort Knox. It’s just Base64 of “username:password” – no encryption, so HTTPS is a must.

Alternatives? OAuth 2.0 dances circles around Basic, offering tokens instead of tangible credentials. Still, it’s complex. Then there’s Bearer authentication, holding tokens like a secret handshake.

Under the hood, reqwest is a high-level HTTP client playing nice with Rust’s async features. The ‘Basic’ struct creates the header, ‘Authorization’ pops it in, and presto, you’re knocking on the server’s door with a secret whisper.

See Also

For more lore and wizardry:

Sending an HTTP request