Curl, short for "client URL," is a versatile command-line tool for transferring data to servers using URLs, and it is widely accessible due to its minimal requirements of a command line interface and internet connection. Initially developed by Rafael Sagula in 1996 and later expanded by Daniel Stenberg, curl evolved from fetching currency exchange rates to supporting over 25 protocols and handling millions of requests monthly. Known for its ease of use, curl allows developers to perform HTTP requests like GET and POST directly from any operating system, utilizing simple command syntax. Its development library, libcurl, supports most codebases, while its straightforward syntax helps with HTTP requests, including GET, POST, and proxy connections. Curl's high compatibility, lightweight nature, and adaptability make it popular for API testing, web services interaction, and web scraping. Over the years, curl has become an open-source project maintained by a global community, offering significant advantages such as a simple syntax and high functionality without overloading CPUs.