Webmachine request/response data
Author: Basho Technologies
Keywords: webmachine http rest web

# webmachine

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### Webmachine request/response data

This is documentation of the Webmachine Request Data API as embodied by the `"wrq"` module. This module is the means by which resources access and manipulate the state of the request they are handling.

Given that all webmachine resource functions have this signature:

f(ReqData, Context) -> {Result, ReqData, Context}

we should explain in detail the `ReqData` input and output parameter. This is a data structure used to represent the request sent by the client as well as the response being built by the resource. The `wrq` module is used to access the values in the input parameter. Most functions in most resources have no need to modify the output `ReqData` and can simply pass along the one received as input. However, in some cases a resource will need to make some update to the response other than that implied by `Result` and in those cases it should use the `wrq` module to build a modified `ReqData` from the original one for the return value.

A couple of nonstandard types are assumed here:

Type | Description
--- | ---
string() | a list() with all elements in the ASCII range
rd() | opaque record, used as the input/output `ReqData`
streambody() | A webmachine streamed body format
mochiheaders() | a structure used in mochiweb for HTTP header storage

The accessors are:

Function | Description
--- | ---
`method(rd()) -> 'DELETE' | 'GET' | 'HEAD' | 'OPTIONS' | 'POST' | 'PUT' | 'TRACE'` | The HTTP method used by the client. (note that it is an `atom()` )
`version(rd()) -> {integer(),integer()}` | The HTTP version used by the client. Most often `{1,1}` .
`peer(rd()) -> string()` | The IP address of the client.
`disp_path(rd()) -> string()` | The "local" path of the resource URI; the part after any prefix used in dispatch configuration. Of the three path accessors, this is the one you usually want. This is also the one that will change after `create_path` is called in your resource.
`path(rd()) -> string()` | The path part of the URI -- after the host and port, but not including any query string.
`raw_path(rd()) -> string()` | The entire path part of the URI, including any query string present.
`path_info(atom(),rd()) -> 'undefined' | string()` | Looks up a binding as described in dispatch configuration.
`path_info(rd()) -> any()` | The dictionary of bindings as described in dispatch configuration.
`path_tokens(rd()) -> list()` | This is a list of `string()` terms, the disp_path components split by "/".
`get_req_header(string(),rd()) -> 'undefined' | string()` | Look up the value of an incoming request header.
`req_headers(rd()) -> mochiheaders()` | The incoming HTTP headers. Generally, get_req_header is more useful.
`req_body(rd()) -> 'undefined' | binary()` | The incoming request body, if any.
`stream_req_body(rd(),integer()) -> streambody()` | The incoming request body in streamed form, with hunks no bigger than the integer argument.
`get_cookie_value(string(),rd()) -> string()` | Look up the named value in the incoming request cookie header.
`req_cookie(rd()) -> string()` | The raw value of the cookie header. Note that get_cookie_value is often more useful.
`get_qs_value(string(),rd()) -> 'undefined' | string()` | Given the name of a key, look up the corresponding value in the query string.
`get_qs_value(string(),string(),rd()) -> string()` | Given the name of a key and a default value if not present, look up the corresponding value in the query string.
`req_qs(rd()) -> [{string(), string()}]` | The parsed query string, if any. Note that get_qs_value is often more useful.
`get_resp_header(string(),rd()) -> string()` | Look up the current value of an outgoing request header.
`resp_redirect(rd()) -> bool()` | the last value passed to do_redirect, false otherwise -- if true, then some responses will be 303 instead of 2xx where applicable
`resp_headers(rd()) -> mochiheaders()` | The outgoing HTTP headers. Generally, get_resp_header is more useful.
`resp_body(rd()) -> 'undefined' | binary()` | The outgoing response body, if one has been set. Usually, append_to_response_body is the best way to set this.
`app_root(rd()) -> string()` | Indicates the "height" above the requested URI that this resource is dispatched from. Typical values are `"."` , `".."` , `"../.."` and so on.

The functions for (nondestructive) modification of `rd()` terms are:

Function | Description
--- | ---
`set_resp_header(string(),string(),rd()) -> rd()` | Given a header name and value, set an outgoing request header to that value.
`append_to_response_body(binary(),rd()) -> rd()` | Append the given value to the body of the outgoing response.
`do_redirect(bool(),rd()) -> rd()` | see resp_redirect; this sets that value.
`set_disp_path(string(),rd()) -> rd()` | The disp_path is the only path that can be changed during a request. This function will do so.
`set_req_body(binary(),rd()) -> rd()` | Replace the incoming request body with this for the rest of the processing.
`set_resp_body(binary(),rd()) -> rd()` | Set the outgoing response body to this value.
`set_resp_body(streambody(),rd()) -> rd()` | Use this streamed body to produce the outgoing response body on demand.
`set_resp_headers([{string(),string()}],rd()) -> rd()` | Given a list of two-tuples of {headername,value}, set those outgoing response headers.
`remove_resp_header(string(),rd()) -> rd()` | Remove the named outgoing response header.