Apache HttpCore 4.4.16 · org.apache.http.HttpEntity

An entity that can be sent or received with an HTTP message. Entities can be found in some requests and in responses, where they are optional.

There are three distinct types of entities in HttpCore, depending on where their content originates:

streamed: The content is received from a stream, or generated on the fly. In particular, this category includes entities being received from a connection. Streamed entities are generally not repeatable.
self-contained: The content is in memory or obtained by means that are independent from a connection or other entity. Self-contained entities are generally repeatable.
wrapping: The content is obtained from another entity.

This distinction is important for connection management with incoming entities. For entities that are created by an application and only sent using the HTTP components framework, the difference between streamed and self-contained is of little importance. In that case, it is suggested to consider non-repeatable entities as streamed, and those that are repeatable (without a huge effort) as self-contained.

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method and Description
public void	consumeContent() Deprecated (4.1) Use `org.apache.http.util.EntityUtils#consume(HttpEntity)` This method is deprecated since version 4.1.
public InputStream	Returns: content stream of the entity. getContent() Returns a content stream of the entity.
public Header	Returns: the Content-Encoding header for this entity, or `null` if the content encoding is unknown getContentEncoding() Obtains the Content-Encoding header, if known.
public long	Returns: the number of bytes of the content, or a negative number if unknown. If the content length is known but exceeds `Long.MAX_VALUE`, a negative number is returned. getContentLength() Tells the length of the content, if known.
public Header	Returns: the Content-Type header for this entity, or `null` if the content type is unknown getContentType() Obtains the Content-Type header, if known.
public boolean	Returns: `true` if chunked encoding is preferred for this entity, or `false` if it is not isChunked() Tells about chunked encoding for this entity.
public boolean	Returns: true if the entity is repeatable, false otherwise. isRepeatable() Tells if the entity is capable of producing its data more than once.
public boolean	Returns: `true` if the entity content is streamed, `false` otherwise isStreaming() Tells whether this entity depends on an underlying stream.
public void	writeTo(OutputStream the output stream to write entity content to outStream) Writes the entity content out to the output stream.

Method Detail

consumeContent back to summary

consumeContent	back to summary
public void consumeContent() throws IOException Deprecated (4.1) Use `org.apache.http.util.EntityUtils#consume(HttpEntity)` This method is deprecated since version 4.1. Please use standard java convention to ensure resource deallocation by calling `InputStream#close()` on the input stream returned by `getContent()` This method is called to indicate that the content of this entity is no longer required. All entity implementations are expected to release all allocated resources as a result of this method invocation. Content streaming entities are also expected to dispose of the remaining content, if any. Wrapping entities should delegate this call to the wrapped entity. This method is of particular importance for entities being received from a `connection`. The entity needs to be consumed completely in order to re-use the connection with keep-alive. Annotations @Deprecated Exceptions IOException: if an I/O error occurs. See Also `and #writeTo(OutputStream)`

public void consumeContent() throws IOException

Deprecated

(4.1) Use org.apache.http.util.EntityUtils#consume(HttpEntity)

This method is deprecated since version 4.1. Please use standard java convention to ensure resource deallocation by calling InputStream#close() on the input stream returned by getContent()

This method is called to indicate that the content of this entity is no longer required. All entity implementations are expected to release all allocated resources as a result of this method invocation. Content streaming entities are also expected to dispose of the remaining content, if any. Wrapping entities should delegate this call to the wrapped entity.

This method is of particular importance for entities being received from a connection. The entity needs to be consumed completely in order to re-use the connection with keep-alive.

Annotations

@Deprecated

Exceptions

IOException:: if an I/O error occurs.

See Also

and #writeTo(OutputStream)

getContent back to summary

getContent	back to summary
public InputStream getContent() throws IOException, UnsupportedOperationException Returns a content stream of the entity. `Repeatable` entities are expected to create a new instance of `InputStream` for each invocation of this method and therefore can be consumed multiple times. Entities that are not `repeatable` are expected to return the same `InputStream` instance and therefore may not be consumed more than once. Important Note Please note all entity implementations must ensure that all allocated resources are properly deallocated after the `InputStream#close()` method is invoked. Returns:InputStream content stream of the entity. Exceptions IOException: if the stream could not be created UnsupportedOperationException: if entity content cannot be represented as `java.io.InputStream`. See Also `isRepeatable()`

public InputStream getContent() throws IOException, UnsupportedOperationException

Returns a content stream of the entity. Repeatable entities are expected to create a new instance of InputStream for each invocation of this method and therefore can be consumed multiple times. Entities that are not repeatable are expected to return the same InputStream instance and therefore may not be consumed more than once.

Important Note

Please note all entity implementations must ensure that all allocated resources are properly deallocated after the InputStream#close() method is invoked.

Returns:InputStream

content stream of the entity.

Exceptions

IOException:: if the stream could not be created
UnsupportedOperationException:: if entity content cannot be represented as java.io.InputStream.

See Also

isRepeatable()

getContentEncoding back to summary

getContentEncoding	back to summary
public Header getContentEncoding() Obtains the Content-Encoding header, if known. This is the header that should be used when sending the entity, or the one that was received with the entity. Wrapping entities that modify the content encoding should adjust this header accordingly. Returns:Header the Content-Encoding header for this entity, or `null` if the content encoding is unknown

public Header getContentEncoding()

Obtains the Content-Encoding header, if known. This is the header that should be used when sending the entity, or the one that was received with the entity. Wrapping entities that modify the content encoding should adjust this header accordingly.

Returns:Header: the Content-Encoding header for this entity, or null if the content encoding is unknown

getContentLength back to summary

getContentLength	back to summary
public long getContentLength() Tells the length of the content, if known. Returns:long the number of bytes of the content, or a negative number if unknown. If the content length is known but exceeds `Long.MAX_VALUE`, a negative number is returned.

public long getContentLength()

Tells the length of the content, if known.

Returns:long: the number of bytes of the content, or a negative number if unknown. If the content length is known but exceeds Long.MAX_VALUE, a negative number is returned.

getContentType back to summary

getContentType	back to summary
public Header getContentType() Obtains the Content-Type header, if known. This is the header that should be used when sending the entity, or the one that was received with the entity. It can include a charset attribute. Returns:Header the Content-Type header for this entity, or `null` if the content type is unknown

public Header getContentType()

Obtains the Content-Type header, if known. This is the header that should be used when sending the entity, or the one that was received with the entity. It can include a charset attribute.

Returns:Header: the Content-Type header for this entity, or null if the content type is unknown

isChunked back to summary

isChunked	back to summary
public boolean isChunked() Tells about chunked encoding for this entity. The primary purpose of this method is to indicate whether chunked encoding should be used when the entity is sent. For entities that are received, it can also indicate whether the entity was received with chunked encoding. The behavior of wrapping entities is implementation dependent, but should respect the primary purpose. Returns:boolean `true` if chunked encoding is preferred for this entity, or `false` if it is not

public boolean isChunked()

Tells about chunked encoding for this entity. The primary purpose of this method is to indicate whether chunked encoding should be used when the entity is sent. For entities that are received, it can also indicate whether the entity was received with chunked encoding.

The behavior of wrapping entities is implementation dependent, but should respect the primary purpose.

Returns:boolean: true if chunked encoding is preferred for this entity, or false if it is not

isRepeatable	back to summary
public boolean isRepeatable() Tells if the entity is capable of producing its data more than once. A repeatable entity's getContent() and writeTo(OutputStream) methods can be called more than once whereas a non-repeatable entity's can not. Returns:boolean true if the entity is repeatable, false otherwise.

isRepeatable

back to summary

public boolean isRepeatable()

Tells if the entity is capable of producing its data more than once. A repeatable entity's getContent() and writeTo(OutputStream) methods can be called more than once whereas a non-repeatable entity's can not.

Returns:boolean: true if the entity is repeatable, false otherwise.

isStreaming back to summary

isStreaming	back to summary
public boolean isStreaming() Tells whether this entity depends on an underlying stream. Streamed entities that read data directly from the socket should return `true`. Self-contained entities should return `false`. Wrapping entities should delegate this call to the wrapped entity. Returns:boolean `true` if the entity content is streamed, `false` otherwise

public boolean isStreaming()

Tells whether this entity depends on an underlying stream. Streamed entities that read data directly from the socket should return true. Self-contained entities should return false. Wrapping entities should delegate this call to the wrapped entity.

Returns:boolean: true if the entity content is streamed, false otherwise

writeTo	back to summary
public void writeTo(OutputStream outStream) throws IOException Writes the entity content out to the output stream. Important Note Please note all entity implementations must ensure that all allocated resources are properly deallocated when this method returns. Parameters outStream:OutputStream the output stream to write entity content to Exceptions IOException: if an I/O error occurs

writeTo

back to summary

public void writeTo(OutputStream outStream) throws IOException

Writes the entity content out to the output stream.

Important Note

Please note all entity implementations must ensure that all allocated resources are properly deallocated when this method returns.

Parameters

outStream:OutputStream: the output stream to write entity content to

Exceptions

IOException:: if an I/O error occurs

public Interface HttpEntity

Method Summary

Method Detail