From: Matthias Reitinger <reitinge+usenet@...>
Date: 2009-07-20T10:00:05+09:00
Subject: Re: Problem with Flickr API and net/http

Kyle Peyton wrote:
> I'm writing an app that uses the flickr api via http requests.  I can't
> figure out if the problem I'm having is the way I'm implementing this
> with net/http or simply a problem with the flickr api.  My code looks
> like this:
> 
> xml_data = Net::HTTP.get_response(URI.parse(url)).body
> Hpricot(xml_data)
> 
> I know the url is valid, because I can paste the url directly in to my
> browser and I get valid xml from flickr.  But when I issue this code in
> my app, I get a blank response.  xml_data is an empty string every time
> and I can't figure out why.  Am I requesting a response incorrectly?
> Anyone have any idea?

Take a look at the HTTP response code (call .code instead of .body).  If 
it is in the 3xx range the server is redirecting you to a different URI.  
A browser usually follows these redirects automatically.

-Matthias