Practical Coding in Python

Learn to write and validate your own code

Darren Kessner, PhD

(revised September 1, 2025)

Previous: Hello emoji

Hello requests

#
# hello_requests.py
#


# Installation: 'requests' in requirements.txt


import requests  


# The `requests` library allows you to send HTTP requests, for
# accessing web pages or web APIs.
# https://requests.readthedocs.io

# Weather API documentation 
# https://www.weather.gov/documentation/services-web-api

# National Weather Service (NWS) 
# https://www.weather.gov/

# NOAA 
# https://www.noaa.gov/


def main():

    # https://api.weather.gov/points/{latitude},{longitude}
    url = "https://api.weather.gov/points/34.0699142,-118.3294098"

    # Use the `get()` function to retrieve a webpage (GET request).

    response = requests.get(url)

    # Status code 200 is success.

    print("status_code:", response.status_code)
    print()

    if response.status_code != 200:
        print("Error.")
        return

    # The response from a webpage will generatlly be HTML.  The
    # response from a web API will usually be in JSON format, which
    # you can think of as a bunch of nested dictionaries.

    result_json = response.json()
    properties = result_json['properties']

    city = properties['relativeLocation']['properties']['city']
    forecast_url = properties['forecast']

    print("city:", city)
    print("forecast_url:", forecast_url)
    print()

    # Accessing the actual forecast requires a second GET request.

    response = requests.get(forecast_url)

    properties = response.json()['properties']
    periods = properties['periods']

    for period in periods:
        print(period['name'])
        print(period['detailedForecast'])
        print()


if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

Output:

status_code: 200

city: West Hollywood
forecast_url: https://api.weather.gov/gridpoints/LOX/152,46/forecast

This Afternoon
Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Southwest wind around 10 mph.

Tonight
A slight chance of rain showers between 11pm and 5am. Partly 
cloudy, with a low around 66. Southwest wind 0 to 10 mph. Chance of 
precipitation is 20%.

Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Southwest wind 0 to 10 mph.

Wednesday Night
Patchy fog after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. South 
southwest wind 0 to 10 mph.

Thursday
Patchy fog before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. South 
southwest wind 0 to 10 mph.

Thursday Night
Patchy fog after 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.

Friday
Patchy fog before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 77.

Friday Night
Patchy fog after 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.

Saturday
Patchy fog before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.

Saturday Night
Patchy fog after 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 63.

Sunday
Patchy fog before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.

Sunday Night
Patchy fog after 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.

Monday
Patchy fog before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.

Monday Night
Clear, with a low around 65.

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