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= Http Request Processor

A processor app that makes requests to an HTTP resource and emits the response body as a message payload.

== Input
=== Headers
Any Required HTTP headers must be explicitly set via the `headers` or `headers-expression` property. See examples below.
Header values may also be used to construct:

 * the request body when referenced in the `body-expression` property.
 * the HTTP method when referenced in the `http-method-expression` property.
 * the URL when referenced in the `url-expression` property.

=== Payload

The payload is used as the request body for a POST request by default, and can be any Java type.
It should be an empty String for a GET request.
The payload may also be used to construct:

* the request body when referenced in the `body-expression` property.
* the HTTP method when referenced in the `http-method-expression` property.
* the URL when referenced in the `url-expression` property.

The underlying https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/javadoc-api/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/client/WebClient.html[WebClient] supports Jackson JSON serialization to support any request and response types if necessary.
The `expected-response-type` property, `String.class` by default, may be set to any class in your application class path.
Note that user defined payload types will require adding required dependencies to your pom file.

== Output

=== Headers
No HTTP message headers are mapped to the outbound Message.

=== Payload
The raw output object is https://docs.spring.io/spring/docs/current/javadoc-api/org/springframework/http/ResponseEntity.html[ResponseEntity<?>] any of its fields (e.g., `body`, `headers`) or accessor methods (`statusCode`) may be referenced as part of the `reply-expression`.
By default the outbound Message payload is the response body.
Note that ResponseEntity (referenced by the expression `#root`) cannot be deserialized by Jackson by default, but may be rendered as a `HashMap`.

== Options

The **$$http-request$$** $$processor$$ has the following options:

//tag::configuration-properties[link-to-catalog=true]
https://github.com/spring-cloud/spring-functions-catalog/tree/main/function/spring-http-request-function#configuration-options[See Spring Functions Catalog for configuration options].
//end::configuration-properties[]

//end::ref-doc[]