More liberal default JSON Accept header

Closes #470

CHANGELOG.rst

@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ This project adheres to `Semantic Versioning <http://semver.org/>`_.
 * Added the ability to unset a request header with ``Header:``, and send an
   empty value with ``Header;``.
 * Added ``--default-scheme <URL_SCHEME>``.
+* Changed the default JSON ``Accept`` header from ``application/json``
+  to ``application/json, */*``.
 
 
 `0.9.4`_ (2016-07-01)

README.rst

@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ with `authentication`_:
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-    $ http -a USERNAME POST https://api.github.com/repos/jkbrzt/httpie/issues/83/comments body='HTTPie is awesome!'
+    $ http -a USERNAME POST https://api.github.com/repos/jkbrzt/httpie/issues/83/comments body='HTTPie is awesome! :heart:'
 
 
 Upload a file using `redirected input`_:
@@ -403,13 +403,13 @@ both of which can be overwritten:
 
 ================    =======================================
 ``Content-Type``    ``application/json``
-``Accept``          ``application/json``
+``Accept``          ``application/json, */*``
 ================    =======================================
 
 You can use ``--json, -j`` to explicitly set ``Accept``
 to ``application/json`` regardless of whether you are sending data
 (it's a shortcut for setting the header via the usual header notation –
-``http url Accept:application/json``). Additionally,
+``http url Accept:application/json, */*``). Additionally,
 HTTPie will try to detect JSON responses even when the
 ``Content-Type`` is incorrectly ``text/plain`` or unknown.
 
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ Simple example:
 .. code-block:: http
 
     PUT / HTTP/1.1
-    Accept: application/json
+    Accept: application/json, */*
     Accept-Encoding: gzip, deflate
     Content-Type: application/json
     Host: example.org
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ fields using ``=@`` and ``:=@``:
 .. code-block:: http
 
     PUT /person/1 HTTP/1.1
-    Accept: application/json
+    Accept: application/json, */*
     Content-Type: application/json
     Host: api.example.com
 
@@ -825,7 +825,7 @@ documentation examples:
 
     $ http --verbose PUT httpbin.org/put hello=world
     PUT /put HTTP/1.1
-    Accept: application/json
+    Accept: application/json, */*
     Accept-Encoding: gzip, deflate
     Content-Type: application/json
     Host: httpbin.org

httpie/client.py

@@ -24,8 +24,9 @@ except AttributeError:
     pass
 
 
-FORM = 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded; charset=utf-8'
+FORM_CONTENT_TYPE = 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded; charset=utf-8'
-JSON = 'application/json'
+JSON_CONTENT_TYPE = 'application/json'
+JSON_ACCEPT = '{0}, */*'.format(JSON_CONTENT_TYPE)
 DEFAULT_UA = 'HTTPie/%s' % __version__
 
 
@@ -100,16 +101,15 @@ def get_default_headers(args):
     }
 
     auto_json = args.data and not args.form
-    # FIXME: Accept is set to JSON with `http url @./file.txt`.
     if args.json or auto_json:
-        default_headers['Accept'] = 'application/json'
+        default_headers['Accept'] = JSON_ACCEPT
         if args.json or (auto_json and args.data):
-            default_headers['Content-Type'] = JSON
+            default_headers['Content-Type'] = JSON_CONTENT_TYPE
 
     elif args.form and not args.files:
         # If sending files, `requests` will set
         # the `Content-Type` for us.
-        default_headers['Content-Type'] = FORM
+        default_headers['Content-Type'] = FORM_CONTENT_TYPE
     return default_headers
 
 

tests/test_defaults.py

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 Tests for the provided defaults regarding HTTP method, and --json vs. --form.
 
 """
+from httpie.client import JSON_ACCEPT
 from utils import TestEnvironment, http, HTTP_OK
 from fixtures import FILE_PATH
 
@@ -58,20 +59,20 @@ class TestAutoContentTypeAndAcceptHeaders:
     def test_POST_with_data_auto_JSON_headers(self, httpbin):
         r = http('POST', httpbin.url + '/post', 'a=b')
         assert HTTP_OK in r
-        assert '"Accept": "application/json"' in r
+        assert r.json['headers']['Accept'] == JSON_ACCEPT
-        assert '"Content-Type": "application/json' in r
+        assert r.json['headers']['Content-Type'] == 'application/json'
 
     def test_GET_with_data_auto_JSON_headers(self, httpbin):
         # JSON headers should automatically be set also for GET with data.
         r = http('POST', httpbin.url + '/post', 'a=b')
         assert HTTP_OK in r
-        assert '"Accept": "application/json"' in r, r
+        assert r.json['headers']['Accept'] == JSON_ACCEPT
-        assert '"Content-Type": "application/json' in r
+        assert r.json['headers']['Content-Type'] == 'application/json'
 
     def test_POST_explicit_JSON_auto_JSON_accept(self, httpbin):
         r = http('--json', 'POST', httpbin.url + '/post')
         assert HTTP_OK in r
-        assert r.json['headers']['Accept'] == 'application/json'
+        assert r.json['headers']['Accept'] == JSON_ACCEPT
         # Make sure Content-Type gets set even with no data.
         # https://github.com/jkbrzt/httpie/issues/137
         assert 'application/json' in r.json['headers']['Content-Type']