Swift HTTP Types

Swift HTTP Types are version-independent HTTP currency types designed for both clients and servers. They provide a common set of representations for HTTP requests and responses, focusing on modern HTTP features.

Getting Started

Add the following dependency clause to your Package.swift:

dependencies: [
    .package(url: "https://github.com/apple/swift-http-types.git", from: "1.0.0")
]

The HTTPTypes library exposes the core HTTP currency types, including HTTPRequest, HTTPResponse, and HTTPFields.

The HTTPTypesFoundation library provides conveniences for using new HTTP types with Foundation, including bidirectional convertors between the new types and Foundation URL types, and URLSession convenience methods with the new types.

The NIOHTTPTypes, NIOHTTPTypesHTTP1, and NIOHTTPTypesHTTP2 libraries provide channel handlers for translating the version-specific NIO HTTP types with the new HTTP types. They can be found in swift-nio-extras.

Usage

Create a request

let request = HTTPRequest(method: .get, scheme: "https", authority: "www.example.com", path: "/")

Create a request from a Foundation URL

var request = HTTPRequest(method: .get, url: URL(string: "https://www.example.com/")!)
request.method = .post
request.path = "/upload"

Create a response

let response = HTTPResponse(status: .ok)

Access and modify header fields

extension HTTPField.Name {
    static let myCustomHeader = Self("My-Custom-Header")!
}

// Set
request.headerFields[.userAgent] = "MyApp/1.0"
request.headerFields[.myCustomHeader] = "custom-value"
request.headerFields[values: .acceptLanguage] = ["en-US", "zh-Hans-CN"]

// Get
request.headerFields[.userAgent] // "MyApp/1.0"
request.headerFields[.myCustomHeader] // "custom-value"
request.headerFields[.acceptLanguage] // "en-US, zh-Hans-CN"
request.headerFields[values: .acceptLanguage] // ["en-US", "zh-Hans-CN"]

Use with URLSession

var request = HTTPRequest(method: .post, url: URL(string: "https://www.example.com/upload")!)
request.headerFields[.userAgent] = "MyApp/1.0"
let (responseBody, response) = try await URLSession.shared.upload(for: request, from: requestBody)
guard response.status == .created else {
    // Handle error
}

Use with SwiftNIO

channel.configureHTTP2Pipeline(mode: .server) { channel in
    channel.pipeline.addHandlers([
        HTTP2FramePayloadToHTTPServerCodec(),
        ExampleChannelHandler()
    ])
}.map { _ in () }

final class ExampleChannelHandler: ChannelDuplexHandler {
    typealias InboundIn = HTTPTypeServerRequestPart
    typealias OutboundOut = HTTPTypeServerResponsePart

    func channelRead(context: ChannelHandlerContext, data: NIOAny) {
        switch unwrapInboundIn(data) {
        case .head(let request):
            // Handle request headers
        case .body(let body):
            // Handle request body
        case .end(let trailers):
            // Handle complete request
            let response = HTTPResponse(status: .ok)
            context.write(wrapOutboundOut(.head(response)), promise: nil)
            context.writeAndFlush(wrapOutboundOut(.end(nil)), promise: nil)
        }
    }
}

Developing HTTP Types

For the most part, HTTP Types development is as straightforward as any other SwiftPM project. With that said, we do have a few processes that are worth understanding before you contribute. For details, please see CONTRIBUTING.md in this repository.

Please note that all work on HTTP Types is covered by the Swift HTTP Types Code of Conduct.