DEV Community

Cover image for The C# Developer’s CURL Copy-Paste Conundrum
IronSoftware
IronSoftware

Posted on

The C# Developer’s CURL Copy-Paste Conundrum

#dotnet #linux #rest #ai

Introduction: The C# Developer’s CURL Copy-Paste Conundrum

Bridging Bash and .NET: Harnessing CurlDotNet for Linux-Compatible REST API Magic

It’s 2 AM on deployment night, and I’m staring at a cURL example from Stripe’s docs.

You know the moment — a dozen browser tabs open, half-written unit tests, and now I’m translating a curl command into C#. Again.

API docs everywhere default to curl. Stripe, GitHub, Twilio, OpenAI — they all hand you a Bash-friendly snippet and expect you to mentally map:

  • -H becomes a header object
  • -d becomes JSON content
  • -u becomes basic auth
  • Oh, and don’t forget that one weird header that silently breaks everything if you miss it

If you’re building C# apps on Linux, the friction gets real. We love Bash. We love .NET. But the two ecosystems don’t always shake hands naturally.

This article is about fixing that — bringing Bash and C# into harmony for Linux-friendly REST API work. And CurlDotNet is our bridge.

CUEL .NET 10 / C# CURLDOTNET https://www.nuget.org/packages/CurlDotNet/

The Bash vs. C# Divide in API Land

Bash & cURL: The DevOps Native Language

Bash and cURL are the lingua franca of API examples. Every service uses them because:

  • They run anywhere with POSIX tools
  • They prototype APIs fast
  • They work beautifully on Linux servers, containers, pipelines
  • You can copy, paste, tweak, and run instantly

On Linux, cURL is the closest thing to a universal API client.

The C# Reality

C# has fantastic HTTP libraries — but historically, .NET lived on Windows.

Now we have .NET 6+, container workflows, VS Code, and Linux-native tooling.

Still, the cultures differ:

  • Bash users prefer pipes, one-liners, and curl
  • C# devs prefer structure, classes, SDKs, and types

CurlDotNet brings them together so you can enjoy both.

The Usual Suspects: APIs Obsessed With cURL

Look at any major developer-focused platform:

  • Stripe – curl everywhere for payments
  • GitHub – curl examples for repositories, issues, workflows
  • Twilio – curl for SMS, calls, verification
  • OpenAI – curl for every model example
  • Kubernetes – its API is REST; curl is the norm
  • Postman – often shows curl right next to its collection links

If you want to follow the tutorial exactly as written, you’re starting with Bash.

Linux-Compatible .NET: Why It Matters

.NET is now a fully cross-platform citizen:

  • Runs on Linux servers
  • Plays nicely inside Docker
  • Works in CI/CD pipelines
  • Talks natively to POSIX tooling where needed

A Linux-friendly approach to API calls means:

  • Your code works on the same machines that run your scripts
  • You can mix Bash and C# without translating mental models
  • DevOps pipelines become simpler and more maintainable

Any solution — including CurlDotNet — needs to honor that.

Introducing CurlDotNet: Curl’s Power in C

What It Is

CurlDotNet is a .NET library that lets you:

Paste curl commands directly into C# and run them.

No translation.

No re-writing into HttpClient.

No forgetting headers.

No “why does this example work in Bash but break in C#?”

You paste this:

curl -X POST https://api.stripe.com/v1/charges \
  -u sk_test_123: \
  -d amount=2000 \
  -d currency=usd
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Into this:

var result = await Curl.ExecuteAsync(@"
  curl -X POST https://api.stripe.com/v1/charges \
    -u sk_test_123: \
    -d amount=2000 \
    -d currency=usd
");
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

And it just works.

How It Works
• Parses curl syntax
• Maps each flag to HTTP equivalents
• Builds a proper HttpRequestMessage
• Executes via HttpClient
• No shelling out
• No dependency on system curl

Which means:

It runs anywhere .NET runs — Linux, Windows, macOS — instantly.

⸻

Why CurlDotNet Matters

Eliminates Translation Errors

No more:
• Missing headers
• Incorrect JSON
• Mismatched POST/GET semantics
• Weird quoting issues

A personal horror story:
I once spent four hours debugging a Stripe payment call because I missed the "Stripe-Version" header. CurlDotNet prevents this: you use the exact snippet the docs provide.

Matches Real-World Tutorials

The documentation for Stripe, GitHub, Twilio — you can follow them exactly.
Copy the curl example → paste → run → done.

Speeds Up API Prototyping

Want to test a new API?
• Paste curl
• Execute
• Parse JSON
• Move on

No boilerplate, no ceremony.

Bridges DevOps Scripts and C# Services

Take an existing Linux cronjob that uses curl.
Turn it into a .NET service with:

  • Logging
  • Strong typing
  • Dependency injection
  • Unit testing

But without rewriting the API logic.

⸻

Under the Hood: C#, Bash, and POSIX Working Together

For the curious:
• CurlDotNet handles Bash-style quotes
• Converts line continuations
• Parses -d, -H, -u, -X, --data-binary, etc.
• Deals with Linux vs Windows newline quirks
• Avoids platform-specific execution differences

Performance impact is negligible — it’s HttpClient under the hood.
Most curl flags work; the tiny minority of non-HTTP curl features aren’t relevant.

⸻

Real-World Example: From Shell Script to C# Service

Imagine a Linux Bash script:

curl -H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" \
     https://api.github.com/orgs/myorg/repos
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

It runs nightly via cron.

**Step 1 — Copy the curl command

Step 2 — Paste into C#**

var response = await Curl.ExecuteAsync(@"
  curl -H 'Authorization: token MYTOKEN' \
       https://api.github.com/orgs/myorg/repos
");
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

**
Step 3 — Parse JSON**

var repos = response.ParseJson<List<Repo>>();
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Step 4 — Add business logic
• Send email
• Store to database
• Log results
• Deploy as a service

Your Linux cronjob just became a production-grade C# app without losing the familiarity of its curl heart.

⸻

Beyond Curl: A Multi-Tool Developer Mindset

Great developers mix tools freely:
• Bash for quick experiments
• C# for structured solutions
• Linux for automation
• .NET for maintainability

CurlDotNet is a perfect example of this synergy — a .NET library inspired by a POSIX utility.

Use it in:
• CI/CD automation
• Kubernetes deployments
• Slack webhook notifications
• IoT apps running on Linux
• Analytics integrations with public APIs

Anywhere a curl command exists, C# can now speak its language natively.

⸻

Conclusion: The Best of Both Worlds

Back to that 2 AM deployment story:

With CurlDotNet, I pasted Stripe’s curl snippet directly into my C# service.
No translation. No typos. No misery.

Moments later, the API call succeeded — and I felt Linux and .NET finally shaking hands.

Key Takeaways 

• Use curl examples directly in your C# code
• Linux & .NET are better together, not alternatives
• APIs are easier when you speak their native language — curl — even from C#
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Whether you’re integrating a Stripe payment in C#, triggering Kubernetes deployments from Bash on Linux, or building a polyglot automation pipeline:

CurlDotNet lets you work the way developers naturally think.

Got your own war stories about curl translations?
Share them — we’ve all been there.

About the author

Jacob Mellor
Senior Software Engineer at IronSoftware

Jacob is a Senior Software Engineer at IronSoftware, specializing in .NET development and open-source tooling. Creator of CurlDotNet, bringing the power of curl to the .NET ecosystem with a pure C# implementation.

https://github.com/jacob-mellor
https://ironsoftware.com/about-us/authors/jacobmellor/

Top comments (0)