curl -X DELETE https://my.firebase.io/users/bob.json?auth=my-secret

def client = new RESTClient('https://my.firebase.io/users/bob.json?auth=my-secret')
def response = client.delete(requestContentType: ContentType.ANY)

def client = new RESTClient('https://my.firebase.io')

def response = client.delete(
    requestContentType: ContentType.ANY,
    path: '/users/bob.json',
    query: [auth: 'my-secret']
)

def http = new HTTPBuilder('https://my.firebase.io')

// perform a POST request, expecting TEXT response
http.request(Method.DELETE, ContentType.ANY) {
    uri.path = '/users/bob.json'
    uri.query = [auth: 'my-secret']

    // response handler for a success response code
    response.success = { resp, reader ->
        println "response status: ${resp.statusLine}"
    }
}

def http = new HttpURLClient(url:'https://some/path/')
resp = http.request(method:DELETE, contentType:JSON, path: "destroy/somewhere.json")
def json = resp.data
assert json.id != null
assert resp.statusLine.statusCode == 200

def createClient() {
    HttpParams params = new BasicHttpParams()
    HttpProtocolParams.setVersion(params, HttpVersion.HTTP_1_1)
    HttpProtocolParams.setContentCharset(params, "UTF-8")
    params.setBooleanParameter(ClientPNames.HANDLE_REDIRECTS, true)

    SchemeRegistry registry = new SchemeRegistry()
    registry.register(new Scheme("http", PlainSocketFactory.getSocketFactory(), 80))

    ClientConnectionManager ccm = new PoolingClientConnectionManager(registry)
    HttpConnectionParams.setConnectionTimeout(params, 8000)
    HttpConnectionParams.setSoTimeout(params, 5400000)
    HttpClient client = new DefaultHttpClient(ccm, params)

    return client
}

HttpClient client = createClient()
def url  = new URL("http", host, Integer.parseInt(port), "/dyn/admin/nucleus$component/")
HttpDelete delete = new HttpDelete(url.toURI())
// if you have any basic auth, you can plug it in here
def auth="USER:PASS"
delete.setHeader("Authorization", "Basic ${auth.getBytes().encodeBase64().toString()}")

// convert a data map to NVPs
def data = [:]
List<NameValuePair> nvps = new ArrayList<NameValuePair>(data.size())
data.each { name, value ->
    nvps.add(new BasicNameValuePair(name, value))
}

delete.setEntity(new UrlEncodedFormEntity(nvps))

HttpResponse response = client.execute(delete)
def status = response.statusLine.statusCode
def content = response.entity.content