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    ----------
    HttpClient for Android
    ----------
    ----------
    ----------

HttpClient for Android

    This project represents an effort to provide an implementation of Apache HttpClient, which can 
    be deployed on Google Android in parallel to the outdated version shipped with the platform while 
    remaining partially API compatible with Apache HttpClient 4.3.

* {Background}

    Google Android 1.0 was released with a pre-BETA snapshot of Apache HttpClient. To coincide with 
    the first Android release Apache HttpClient 4.0 APIs had to be frozen prematurely, while many 
    of interfaces and internal structures were still not fully worked out. As Apache HttpClient 4.0 
    was maturing the project was expecting Google to incorporate the latest code improvements into 
    their code tree. Unfortunately it did not happen. Version of Apache HttpClient shipped with 
    Android has effectively become a fork. Eventually Google decided to discontinue further 
    development of their fork while refusing to upgrade to the stock version of Apache HttpClient 
    citing compatibility concerns as a reason for such decision. As a result those Android 
    developers who would like to continue using Apache HttpClient APIs on Android cannot take advantage 
    of newer features, performance improvements and bug fixes. 

    Apache HttpClient 4.3 port for Android is intended to remedy the situation by providing 
    official releases compatible with Google Android.  

* {Differences with the stock version of Apache HttpClient} 

    [[1]] Compiled against HttpClient 4.0 APIs.

    [[1]] Commons Logging replaced with Android Logging.

    [[1]] Base64 implementation from Commons Codec replaced with Android Base64.

    [[1]] Android default SSLSocketFactory used by for SSL/TLS connections.


* {Compatibility notes} 

    [[1]] HttpClient port for Android is compiled against the official Android SDK and is expected
    to be fully compatible with any code consuming HttpClient services through its interface 
    (HttpClient) rather than the default implementation (DefaultHttpClient).

    [[1]] Code compiled against stock versions of Apache HttpClient 4.3 is not fully compatible with
    the HttpClient port for Android. Some of the implementation classes had to be copied (or shaded)
    with different names in order to avoid conflicts with the older versions of the same classes
    included in the Android runtime. One can increase compatibility of with the stock version of
    HttpClient by avoiding 'org.apache.http.**.*HC4' classes.

* {Download}

    HttpClient 4.3 for Android is available from the Maven central and can be added to Gradle
    builds as the following dependency: 
    
----
dependencies {
    compile group: 'org.apache.httpcomponents' , name: 'httpclient-android' , version: '4.3.5.1'
}
----