Files
cpp-httplib/docs-src/pages/en/cookbook/s11-pre-request.md
yhirose 77bdf7921a Read request body after route matching and pre-request handler
Previously, for regular handlers the request body was read in routing()
before the route was matched, so the pre-request handler always saw an
already-read body. The ContentReader path, in contrast, ran the
pre-request handler before the body was read. This inconsistency made
it impossible to reject a request (e.g. failed per-route authentication
via req.matched_route) without buffering a potentially large body.

Move the read_content() call into dispatch_request(), after route
matching and the pre-request handler, so both paths behave the same:
route matching -> pre_request_handler -> body read -> handler. A
request rejected by the pre-request handler no longer reads the body
at all; the existing keep-alive drain logic still consumes any framed
body afterwards.

Note: code that referenced req.body or body-derived form fields inside
the pre-request handler will now see an empty body. Inspect headers,
path, query parameters, or matched_route instead.

Also document the handler execution order in README and update the
pre-request cookbook pages (en/ja).
2026-06-09 13:49:56 -04:00

50 lines
2.2 KiB
Markdown

---
title: "S11. Authenticate Per Route with a Pre-Request Handler"
order: 30
status: "draft"
---
The `set_pre_routing_handler()` from [S09. Add pre-processing to all routes](s09-pre-routing) runs **before routing**, so it has no idea which route matched. When you want per-route behavior, `set_pre_request_handler()` is what you need.
## Pre-routing vs. pre-request
| Hook | When it runs | Route info | Request body |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `set_pre_routing_handler` | Before routing | Not available | Not read yet |
| `set_pre_request_handler` | After routing, right before the route handler | Available via `req.matched_route` | Not read yet |
In a pre-request handler, `req.matched_route` holds the **pattern string** that matched. You can vary behavior based on the route definition itself.
Because the body has not been read when the pre-request handler runs, you can reject a request — for example on a failed auth check — without consuming a (potentially large) request body. Note that this also means `req.body` and form fields parsed from the body are not available here; inspect headers, the path, query parameters, or `req.matched_route` instead.
## Switch auth per route
```cpp
svr.set_pre_request_handler(
[](const httplib::Request &req, httplib::Response &res) {
// require auth for routes starting with /admin
if (req.matched_route.rfind("/admin", 0) == 0) {
auto token = req.get_header_value("Authorization");
if (!is_admin_token(token)) {
res.status = 403;
res.set_content("forbidden", "text/plain");
return httplib::Server::HandlerResponse::Handled;
}
}
return httplib::Server::HandlerResponse::Unhandled;
});
```
`matched_route` is the pattern **before** path parameters are expanded (e.g. `/admin/users/:id`). You compare against the route definition, not the actual request path, so IDs or names don't throw you off.
## Return values
Same as pre-routing — return `HandlerResponse`.
- `Unhandled`: continue (the route handler runs)
- `Handled`: we're done, skip the route handler
## Passing auth info to the route handler
To pass decoded user info into the route handler, use `res.user_data`. See [S12. Pass data between handlers with `res.user_data`](s12-user-data).