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Why use Python Requests

Python is a highly versatile language known for its easy readability and wide range of applications. One such application is web scraping and interacting with APIs, which is where the Python Requests module comes in. So, why should you use Python Requests?

The Requests module is a simple, easy-to-use library designed to handle HTTP requests. It abstracts the complexities of making requests behind a beautiful, simple API, allowing you to send HTTP/1.1 requests seamlessly. With it, you can add content like headers, form data, multipart files, and parameters via simple Python libraries to HTTP requests.

Simplicity​

The Requests module allows you to send HTTP requests using Python. The HTTP request returns a Response Object with all the response data (content, encoding, status, etc.). The simplicity of sending requests and processing responses makes it a great choice for beginners and professionals alike.

import requests

response = requests.get('https://api.github.com')

In the example above, we're using the get function to send a GET request to the GitHub API. It's as simple as that!

Feature-Rich​

The Requests module is highly feature-rich. It allows you to send all types of HTTP requests such as GET, POST, DELETE, HEAD, and OPTIONS. 

payload = {'key1': 'value1', 'key2': 'value2'}
response = requests.post('https://httpbin.org/post', data=payload)

In the example above, we're sending a POST request with some data.

Exception Handling​

The Requests module comes with a built-in status code lookup object for easy reference:

response = requests.get('https://api.github.com')
if response.status_code == requests.codes.ok:
    print('Okay')
else:
    print('Not Okay')

Session Capabilities​

The Requests module has excellent support for handling sessions, which are a server-side storage of information that is desired to persist throughout the user's interaction with the web site or web application.

s = requests.Session()
s.get('https://httpbin.org/cookies/set/sessioncookie/123456789')
r = s.get('https://httpbin.org/cookies')

In this example, we're using sessions to handle cookies.

Handling Cookies​

Requests make it simple to handle cookies:

url = 'http://example.com/some/cookie/setting/url'
response = requests.get(url)

print(response.cookies['example_cookie_name'])

Advanced Features​

On top of all these, the module also provides advanced functionalities like handling timeouts, SSL verification, automatic redirection, and retries.

In conclusion, Python's Requests module is a powerful, user-friendly tool that can greatly simplify your experience working with HTTP requests. Its simplicity, feature-rich nature, and advanced functionalities make it a must-have tool for any Python programmer dealing with HTTP requests.