Convert curl to MATLAB

Q: What is MATLAB webwrite?

MATLAB's webwrite and webread functions provide built-in HTTP capabilities for sending and receiving data. They handle JSON serialization automatically and integrate with MATLAB's data types. For more control, use matlab.net.http.RequestMessage. No toolbox installation needed — these are part of core MATLAB.

Q: webwrite vs matlab.net.http — which to use?

webwrite/webread are simple and concise — ideal for quick API calls and data retrieval. matlab.net.http provides full control over headers, methods, streaming, and authentication. Use webwrite for standard REST calls, matlab.net.http when you need custom headers or non-standard methods. For data science alternatives, see curl to Python or curl to R.

Q: How to handle authentication in MATLAB?

With weboptions: options = weboptions('HeaderFields', { 'Authorization', 'Bearer token' }). For Basic auth, use weboptions('Username', user, 'Password', pass). With matlab.net.http, set headers on HeaderField objects directly. curl2code converts auth flags to the appropriate MATLAB syntax.

Q: How to send multipart form data in MATLAB?

Use matlab.net.http.io.MultipartFormProvider for file uploads. For simpler form posts, use webwrite(url, 'key1', 'value1', 'key2', 'value2'). MATLAB handles serialization based on the MediaType option. curl2code converts -F flags to the correct MATLAB pattern.

Q: How to handle HTTP errors in MATLAB?

Wrap calls in try/catch: try response = webread(url, options); catch ME disp(ME.message); end. For status code checking with matlab.net.http, inspect response.StatusCode. MATLAB throws exceptions on network errors and non-2xx responses by default.

Q: How to parse JSON responses in MATLAB?

webread automatically parses JSON into MATLAB structs and cell arrays. For manual parsing, use jsondecode(jsonString). Convert MATLAB data to JSON with jsonencode(data). MATLAB maps JSON objects to structs, arrays to cell arrays, and primitives to their MATLAB equivalents.

Q: How to set timeouts in MATLAB?

Use weboptions('Timeout', 30) to set the timeout in seconds. With matlab.net.http, configure HTTPOptions with ConnectTimeout. The default timeout is 5 seconds for webread/webwrite. Set to Inf for no timeout (not recommended for production).

Q: How to send a POST request with JSON body in MATLAB?

Convert a curl POST command like curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"key":"value"}' URL to MATLAB using curl2code. The generated code uses response = webwrite(url, data, options). curl2code automatically detects -d/--data flags with JSON content and sets the appropriate Content-Type header in the webwrite code.

Q: How to add Bearer token authorization in MATLAB?

Pass curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" URL to curl2code and it generates webwrite code with the auth header: options = weboptions('HeaderFields', {'Authorization', 'Bearer TOKEN'}). curl2code detects Bearer tokens from both -H "Authorization: Bearer ..." and --oauth2-bearer flags. For Basic auth, use -u user:pass.

curl2code converts curl commands to MATLAB code using webwrite and webread. The conversion runs in your browser via WebAssembly for complete privacy. For Python, check our curl to Python converter. For R, see curl to R. Below are practical MATLAB examples.

How to copy curl from your browser

1
Open DevTools
Press F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I to open your browser developer tools.
2
Go to the Network tab
Click the Network tab and perform the action that triggers the HTTP request.
3
Copy as cURL
Right-click the request → Copy → Copy as cURL. Then paste it above.

MATLAB Code Examples

1Simple GET Request

curl command

curl https://api.example.com/users

MATLAB · webwrite

%% Web Access using Data Import and Export API
uri = 'https://api.example.com/users';
response = webread(uri);

%% HTTP Interface
import matlab.net.*
import matlab.net.http.*

uri = URI('https://api.example.com/users');
response = RequestMessage().send(uri.EncodedURI);

2POST with JSON Body

curl command

curl -X POST https://api.example.com/users \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name":"John","email":"john@example.com"}'

MATLAB · webwrite

%% Web Access using Data Import and Export API
uri = 'https://api.example.com/users';
body = struct(...
    'name', 'John',...
    'email', 'john@example.com'...
);
options = weboptions('MediaType', 'application/json');
response = webwrite(uri, body, options);

%% HTTP Interface
import matlab.net.*
import matlab.net.http.*
import matlab.net.http.io.*

header = HeaderField('Content-Type', 'application/json');
uri = URI('https://api.example.com/users');
body = JSONProvider(struct(...
    'name', 'John',...
    'email', 'john@example.com'...
));
response = RequestMessage('post', header, body).send(uri.EncodedURI);

3Request with Bearer Token

curl command

curl https://api.example.com/me \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer token123"

MATLAB · webwrite

%% Web Access using Data Import and Export API
uri = 'https://api.example.com/me';
options = weboptions('HeaderFields', {'Authorization' 'Bearer token123'});
response = webread(uri, options);

%% HTTP Interface
import matlab.net.*
import matlab.net.http.*

header = HeaderField('Authorization', 'Bearer token123');
uri = URI('https://api.example.com/me');
response = RequestMessage('get', header).send(uri.EncodedURI);

4Multipart Form Upload

curl command

curl -X POST https://api.example.com/upload \
  -F "file=@document.pdf" \
  -F "description=My file"

MATLAB · webwrite

%% Web Access using Data Import and Export API
% This is not possible with the webread/webwrite API

%% HTTP Interface
import matlab.net.*
import matlab.net.http.*
import matlab.net.http.io.*

uri = URI('https://api.example.com/upload');
body = MultipartFormProvider('file', FileProvider('document.pdf'), 'description', FormProvider('My file'));
response = RequestMessage('post', [], body).send(uri.EncodedURI);

5Custom Headers

curl command

curl https://api.example.com/data \
  -H "X-API-Key: abc123" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -H "X-Request-ID: req-456"

MATLAB · webwrite

%% Web Access using Data Import and Export API
uri = 'https://api.example.com/data';
options = weboptions(...
    'ContentType', 'json',...
    'HeaderFields', {
        'X-API-Key' 'abc123'
        'X-Request-ID' 'req-456'
    }...
);
response = webread(uri, options);

%% HTTP Interface
import matlab.net.*
import matlab.net.http.*

header = [
    HeaderField('X-API-Key', 'abc123')
    field.AcceptField(MediaType('application/json'))
    HeaderField('X-Request-ID', 'req-456')
]';
uri = URI('https://api.example.com/data');
response = RequestMessage('get', header).send(uri.EncodedURI);

Frequently Asked Questions

What is MATLAB webwrite?

MATLAB's webwrite and webread functions provide built-in HTTP capabilities for sending and receiving data. They handle JSON serialization automatically and integrate with MATLAB's data types. For more control, use matlab.net.http.RequestMessage. No toolbox installation needed — these are part of core MATLAB.

webwrite vs matlab.net.http — which to use?

webwrite/webread are simple and concise — ideal for quick API calls and data retrieval. matlab.net.http provides full control over headers, methods, streaming, and authentication. Use webwrite for standard REST calls, matlab.net.http when you need custom headers or non-standard methods. For data science alternatives, see curl to Python or curl to R.

How to handle authentication in MATLAB?

With weboptions: options = weboptions('HeaderFields', { 'Authorization', 'Bearer token' }). For Basic auth, use weboptions('Username', user, 'Password', pass). With matlab.net.http, set headers on HeaderField objects directly. curl2code converts auth flags to the appropriate MATLAB syntax.

How to send multipart form data in MATLAB?

Use matlab.net.http.io.MultipartFormProvider for file uploads. For simpler form posts, use webwrite(url, 'key1', 'value1', 'key2', 'value2'). MATLAB handles serialization based on the MediaType option. curl2code converts -F flags to the correct MATLAB pattern.

How to handle HTTP errors in MATLAB?

Wrap calls in try/catch: try response = webread(url, options); catch ME disp(ME.message); end. For status code checking with matlab.net.http, inspect response.StatusCode. MATLAB throws exceptions on network errors and non-2xx responses by default.

How to parse JSON responses in MATLAB?

webread automatically parses JSON into MATLAB structs and cell arrays. For manual parsing, use jsondecode(jsonString). Convert MATLAB data to JSON with jsonencode(data). MATLAB maps JSON objects to structs, arrays to cell arrays, and primitives to their MATLAB equivalents.

How to set timeouts in MATLAB?

Use weboptions('Timeout', 30) to set the timeout in seconds. With matlab.net.http, configure HTTPOptions with ConnectTimeout. The default timeout is 5 seconds for webread/webwrite. Set to Inf for no timeout (not recommended for production).

How to use a proxy in MATLAB?

Configure proxy in MATLAB preferences: Home > Preferences > Web. Or use Java system properties: java.lang.System.setProperty('http.proxyHost', 'proxy'). MATLAB uses the JVM's networking stack, so Java proxy settings apply. For proxy auth, set http.proxyUser and http.proxyPassword.

How to send a POST request with JSON body in MATLAB?

Convert a curl POST command like curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"key":"value"}' URL to MATLAB using curl2code. The generated code uses response = webwrite(url, data, options). curl2code automatically detects -d/--data flags with JSON content and sets the appropriate Content-Type header in the webwrite code.

How to add Bearer token authorization in MATLAB?

Pass curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" URL to curl2code and it generates webwrite code with the auth header: options = weboptions('HeaderFields', {'Authorization', 'Bearer TOKEN'}). curl2code detects Bearer tokens from both -H "Authorization: Bearer ..." and --oauth2-bearer flags. For Basic auth, use -u user:pass.

How to set Content-Type header in MATLAB?

curl2code converts curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" URL to webwrite code with the proper header: options = weboptions('MediaType', 'application/json'). For -d data, curl defaults to application/x-www-form-urlencoded; for -F form uploads, it uses multipart/form-data. curl2code maps each to the correct webwrite API.

Useful Links

webwrite Documentation

mathworks.com

Standard Library Reference

mathworks.com

curl Man Page

curl.se

curl Guides

curl Error Codes

Look up any curl exit code — causes, fixes, and debugging tips.

Download Files with curl

Save files with -o, -O, follow redirects, resume downloads, and more.

SSL, TLS & Proxy

Configure certificates, TLS versions, HTTP/SOCKS proxies, and custom DNS.

How to copy curl from your browser

MATLAB Code Examples

1Simple GET Request

2POST with JSON Body

3Request with Bearer Token

4Multipart Form Upload

5Custom Headers

Frequently Asked Questions

Useful Links

curl Guides

Convert curl to Other Languages

MATLAB Code Examples

1Simple GET Request

2POST with JSON Body

3Request with Bearer Token

4Multipart Form Upload

5Custom Headers