What is Axios and how does it differ from fetch()?

What is Axios?

Axios is a popular tool used in JavaScript for making web requests. It allows developers to send and receive data from servers easily. This is especially useful when building web applications that need to communicate with APIs. With Axios, you can fetch data, send data, and handle responses in a way that's straightforward and efficient.

Why Use Axios?

Many developers prefer Axios because it simplifies the process of working with HTTP requests. Here are a few reasons why Axios stands out:

• Easy to Use: Axios has a clean and simple syntax that makes it easy to read and write.
• Built-in Support for JSON: Axios automatically transforms your data to JSON format, saving you from doing it manually.
• Error Handling: It provides a simpler way to handle errors than the native fetch() method.
• Request Cancellation: You can cancel requests easily with Axios, which is a big plus for performance.
• Setting Headers: You can easily set headers for your requests.

How Does Axios Differ from fetch()?

Now, let’s break down the main differences between Axios and the fetch() method, which is built into modern browsers.

1. Syntax and Usage

The first thing you will notice is the syntax. To use fetch(), you start by calling it with the URL you want to access:

fetch('https://api.example.com/data')
    .then(response => response.json())
    .then(data => console.log(data))
    .catch(error => console.error('Error:', error));

With Axios, the syntax is a bit cleaner:

axios.get('https://api.example.com/data')
    .then(response => console.log(response.data))
    .catch(error => console.error('Error:', error));

2. Handling Responses

When you use fetch(), you often need to check if the response is okay. If there's an error, it won’t throw an error automatically, so you need to handle that:

fetch('https://api.example.com/data')
    .then(response => {
        if (!response.ok) {
            throw new Error('Network response was not OK');
        }
        return response.json();
    })
    .then(data => console.log(data))
    .catch(error => console.error('Error:', error));

Axios, on the other hand, automatically throws an error for you. If the response status is not 200, you’ll get an error:

axios.get('https://api.example.com/data')
    .then(response => console.log(response.data))
    .catch(error => console.error('Error:', error));

3. Request Cancellation

Sometimes, you may want to cancel a request. With fetch(), this is a bit tricky. You have to use the AbortController. Axios has built-in support for this:

const source = axios.CancelToken.source();

axios.get('https://api.example.com/data', { cancelToken: source.token })
    .then(response => console.log(response.data))
    .catch(error => {
        if (axios.isCancel(error)) {
            console.log('Request canceled', error.message);
        } else {
            console.error('Error:', error);
        }
    });

// To cancel the request
source.cancel('Operation canceled by the user.');

4. Setting Headers

Setting headers in fetch() requires a bit more work. You need to create an options object:

fetch('https://api.example.com/data', {
    method: 'GET',
    headers: {
        'Authorization': 'Bearer your-token'
    }
})
.then(response => response.json())
.then(data => console.log(data))
.catch(error => console.error('Error:', error));

With Axios, it’s much simpler:

axios.get('https://api.example.com/data', {
    headers: {
        'Authorization': 'Bearer your-token'
    }
})
.then(response => console.log(response.data))
.catch(error => console.error('Error:', error));

Conclusion

In summary, both Axios and fetch() can be used to make HTTP requests in JavaScript. However, Axios has features and a syntax that many developers find easier to use. Think of Axios as a more user-friendly option that handles a lot of the boilerplate code for you. If you're building a web application and need to interact with APIs, it's worth considering Axios for its simplicity and added features.