= nng_http_handler_alloc(3http)
//
// Copyright 2018 Staysail Systems, Inc. <info@staysail.tech>
// Copyright 2018 Capitar IT Group BV <info@capitar.com>
//
// This document is supplied under the terms of the MIT License, a
// copy of which should be located in the distribution where this
// file was obtained (LICENSE.txt).  A copy of the license may also be
// found online at https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT.
//

== NAME

nng_http_handler_alloc - allocate HTTP server handler

== SYNOPSIS

[source, c]
----
#include <nng/nng.h>
#include <nng/supplemental/http/http.h>

typedef struct nng_http_handler nng_http_handler;

int nng_http_handler_alloc(nng_http_handler **hp, const char *path,
    void (*func)(nng_aio *);

int nng_http_handler_alloc_directory(nng_http_handler **hp, const char *path,
    const char *dirname);

int nng_http_handler_alloc_file(nng_http_handler **hp, const char *path,
    const char *filename);

int nng_http_handler_alloc_static(nng_http_handler **hp, const char *path,
    const void *data, size_t size, const char *content_type);
----

== DESCRIPTION

The `nng_http_handler_alloc()` family of functions allocate a handler
which will be used to process requests coming into an HTTP server.
On success, a pointer to the handler is stored at the located pointed to
by _hp_.

Every handler has a Request-URI to which it refers, which is determined
by the _path_ argument.
Only the path component of the Request URI is
considered when determining whether the handler should be called.

Additionally each handler has a method it is registered to handle
(the default is "GET", see
<<nng_http_handler_set_method.3http#,`nng_http_handler_set_method()`>>), and
optionally a 'Host' header it can be matched against (see
<<nng_http_handler_set_host.3http#,`nng_http_handler_set_host()`>>).

In some cases, a handler may reference a logical tree rather (directory)
rather than just a single element.
(See <<nng_http_handler_set_tree.3http#,`nng_http_handler_set_tree()`>>).

=== Custom Handler

The generic (first) form of this creates a handler that uses a user-supplied
function to process HTTP requests.
This function uses the asynchronous I/O framework.
The function takes a pointer to an <<nng_aio.5#,`nng_aio`>> structure.
That structure will be passed with the following input values (retrieved with
<<nng_aio_get_input.3#,`nng_aio_get_input()`>>):

   0: `nng_http_req *` __request__:: The client's HTTP request.
   1: `nng_http_handler *` __handler__:: Pointer to the handler object.
   2: `nng_http_conn *` __conn__:: The underlying HTTP connection.

The handler should create an `nng_http_res *` response (such as via
<<nng_http_res_alloc.3http#,`nng_http_res_alloc()`>> or
<<nng_http_res_alloc_error.3http#,`nng_http_res_alloc_error()`>>) and store that
in as the first output (index 0) with
<<nng_aio_set_output.3#,`nng_aio_set_output()`>>.

Alternatively, the handler may send the HTTP response (and any associated
body data) itself using the connection.
In that case the output at index 0 of the _aio_ should be NULL.

Finally, using the <<nng_aio_finish.3#,`nng_aio_finish()`>> function, the
_aio_ should be completed successfully.
If any non-zero status is returned back to the caller instead,
then a generic 500 response will be created and
sent, if possible, and the connection will be closed.

=== Directory Handler

The second member of this family, `nng_http_handler_alloc_directory()`, creates
a handler configured to serve a directory tree.
The _uri_ is taken as the root, and files are served from the directory
tree rooted at _path_.

When the client Request-URI resolves to a directory in the filesystem,
the handler looks first for a file named `index.html` or `index.htm`.
If one is found, then that file is returned back to the client.
If no such index file exists, then an `NNG_HTTP_STATUS_NOT_FOUND` (404) error is
sent back to the client.

The `Content-Type` will be set automatically based upon the extension
of the requsted file name.
If a content type cannot be determined from
the extension, then `application/octet-stream` is used.

=== File Handler

The third member of this family, `nng_http_handler_alloc_file()`, creates
a handler to serve up a single file; it does not traverse directories
or search for `index.html` or `index.htm` files. 

The `Content-Type` will be set automatically based upon the extension
of the requsted file name.
If a content type cannot be determined from
the extension, then `application/octet-stream` is used.

=== Static Handler

The fourth member of this family, `nng_http_handler_alloc_static()`, creates
a handler to serve up fixed content located in program data.
The client is
sent the _data_, with `Content-Length` of _size_ bytes, and `Content-Type` of
__content_type__.

== RETURN VALUES

This function returns 0 on success, and non-zero otherwise.

== ERRORS

`NNG_EINVAL`:: An invalid _path_ was specified.
`NNG_ENOMEM`:: Insufficient free memory exists to allocate a message.
`NNG_ENOTSUP`:: No support for HTTP in the library.

== SEE ALSO

<<nng_aio_finish.3#,nng_aio_finish(3)>>,
<<nng_aio_get_input.3#,nng_aio_get_input(3)>>,
<<nng_aio_set_output.3#,nng_aio_set_output(3)>>,
<<nng_http_handler_free.3http#,nng_http_handler_free(3http)>>,
<<nng_http_handler_set_host.3http#,nng_http_handler_set_host(3http)>>,
<<nng_http_handler_set_method.3http#,nng_http_handler_set_method(3http)>>,
<<nng_http_handler_set_tree.3http#,nng_http_handler_set_tree(3http)>>,
<<nng_http_res_alloc.3http#,nng_http_res_alloc(3http)>>,
<<nng_http_res_alloc_error.3http#,nng_http_res_alloc_error(3http)>>,
<<nng_http_server_add_handler.3http#,nng_http_server_add_handler(3http)>>,
<<nng_strerror.3#,nng_strerror(3)>>,
<<nng_aio.5#,nng_aio(5)>>,
<<nng.7#,nng(7)>>
