What does the --data option do in Curl?

The --data option in curl is used to send data to the server in a POST request. It is typically used when you want to provide additional data to the server, such as form data or JSON data, in the body of the HTTP request.

When you use the --data option, curl automatically sets the HTTP request type to POST. The data you provide can be in any format, but if you're sending form data, it should be urlencoded.

Here's a basic example of how to use the --data option:

curl --data "param1=value1&param2=value2" https://example.com/resource

In this example, curl sends a POST request to "https://example.com/resource". The data "param1=value1&param2=value2" is sent in the body of the request.

If you're sending JSON data, you should also use the -H option to set the "Content-Type" header to "application/json":

curl --data '{"key1":"value1", "key2":"value2"}' -H "Content-Type: application/json" https://example.com/resource

In this example, curl sends a POST request with JSON data to the server. The -H option sets the "Content-Type" header to "application/json", telling the server that the data in the body of the request is JSON.

In conclusion, the --data option is a powerful tool in curl that allows you to send additional data to the server in a POST request. Whether you're sending form data or JSON data, curl makes it easy to include this data in the body of the request.