I've been using fetch since I began learning web development, but I recently switched to Axios. I've been curious about the differences between the two, so I did some research and found some significant distinctions. Honestly, you don't necessarily need to know these differences to use them, but it's still interesting and smart to learn about them.

Introduction :

fetch and axios are both JavaScript libraries used for making HTTP requests in web applications.

Installation Steps:

Fetch

fetch is a native browser API, and you don't need to install it separately. It is available in modern browsers by default.

1. For Browser:

   • No installation is required as fetch is a native API in modern browsers.

2. For Node.js:

   • Install node-fetch using npm :

       npm install node-fetch
     

   • In your Node.js script, use it like this:

       const fetch = require('node-fetch');
     

Axios

Axios is a third-party library, and you need to install it separately:

1. For Browser or Node.js:

   • Install axios using npm :

       npm install axios
     

2. Usage:

   • In your JavaScript code, you can use axios as follows:

       // CommonJS
       const axios = require('axios');
     
       // ES6 Modules
       import axios from 'axios';
     

Let's Discuss the Differences Now:

1. fetch is a native API available in modern browsers. When we say it's native, it means that the browser environment itself has built-in support for the fetch API. Developers can use it without having to include additional libraries or scripts. It's a standard part of the environment. fetch is now a standard part of the Web Platform API, which modern browsers aim to support.

   Axios on the other hand is a popular third-party HTTP client library. It does not come natively and adds dependency to your project.

2. Promise Handling:

   fetch: fetch uses Promises for handling asynchronous operations. This means you can use .then() and .catch() to handle the success or failure of the request.

   axios: Axios also uses Promises and provides a clean and consistent API. It allows you to use .then() and .catch() as well, but it also supports the async/await syntax, making the code more readable and concise.

3. Syntax:

   Syntax for fetch

    //FETCH
    async function fetchData() {
      try {
        const response = await fetch('https:/localhost:3000/data');
        const data = await response.json();
        console.log(data);
      } catch (error) {
        console.error(error);
      }
    }
    // Call the async function
    fetchData();
   

   Syntax of Axios

    //AXIOS
    async function fetchData() {
      try {
        const response = await axios.get('https://localhost:3000/data');    
        console.log(response.data);
      } catch (error) {
        console.error(error);
      }
    }
    // Call the async function
    fetchData();
   

   • fetch: fetch has a basic API, and if you need to transform the request or response, you need to use additional functions like JSON.stringify() and response.json() manually.

   • axios: Axios provides built-in support for request and response transformation. You can easily send JSON data in the request body or automatically parse JSON responses without additional manual steps.

4. Browser Compatibility:

   fetch: fetch is built into modern browsers but may require a polyfill for older browsers.

   axios: Axios is a standalone library that works consistently across different browsers, including older ones.

1. Various features of Axios make it famous, some of them are:

   • Automatic JSON Parsing: Automatically parses JSON data from responses.

   • Transforms: Allows data to be transformed before it's sent or after it's received.

   • Cancellable Requests: Supports request cancellation using the CancelToken feature.

Features: Some advanced features (like request timeout, and request cancellation) are not natively supported or require additional work.

That's a quick overview of the difference between fetch and Axios. I hope it was informative.