function api_request(url, method, output, data,    curlcfg, retval) {
    retval = ""
    curlcfg = gettemp()
    printf "--connect-timeout 10\n" > curlcfg
    printf "--max-redirs 0\n" >> curlcfg
    if (url ~ /^https:/) {
        printf "--proto =https\n" >> curlcfg
    } else {
        printf "--proto =http\n" >> curlcfg
    }
    printf "--show-error\n" >> curlcfg
    printf "--silent\n" >> curlcfg
    printf "--url %s\n", uri_encode(url) >> curlcfg
    printf "--user-agent %s\n", agent >> curlcfg
    close(curlcfg)
    cmd = sprintf("%s -K %s 2>&1", cmd_curl, curlcfg)
    while ((cmd | getline) > 0) {
        print $0 >>output
    }
    close(output)
    close(cmd)
    unlink(curlcfg)
    return retval
}