Helper function for making REST calls using php.

rest_helper.php

/***********************************************************  
  
  helper function for rest api
  
  for more info on how to use this function... see: 
    https://gist.github.com/gregmercer/6465411
  
***********************************************************/   
 
function rest_helper($url, $params = null, $verb = 'GET', $format = 'json', $authorization = null) {
  
  // setup auth header
  
  $cparams = array(
    'http' => array(
    'method' => $verb,
    'ignore_errors' => true
    )
  );
  if ($authorization != null) {
    $cparams['http']['header'] = "Authorization: $authorization";
  }

  // setup query params

  if ($params !== null) {
    $params = http_build_query($params);
    if ($verb == 'POST') {
      $cparams['http']['content'] = $params;
    } else {
      $url .= '?' . $params;
    }
  }
  
  // create context - combining header and params

  $context = stream_context_create($cparams);
  
  // make call to url
  
  $fp = fopen($url, 'rb', false, $context);
  if (!$fp) {
    $res = false;
  } else {
    $res = stream_get_contents($fp);
  }
  if ($res === false) {
    throw new Exception("$verb $url failed: $php_errormsg");
  }
  
  switch ($format) {
    case 'json':
      $r = json_decode($res);
      if ($r === null) {
        throw new Exception("failed to decode $res as json");
      }
      return $r;
    case 'xml':
      $r = simplexml_load_string($res);
      if ($r === null) {
        throw new Exception("failed to decode $res as xml");
      }
      return $r;
  }
  
  // return response 
  return $res;
  
}