Chapter 3. AHC Component

ahc:http://hostname[:port][/resourceUri][?options]
ahc:https://hostname[:port][/resourceUri][?options]

Will by default use port 80 for HTTP and 443 for HTTPS.

You can append query options to the URI in the following format, ?option=value&option=value&…​

The AHC endpoint is configured using URI syntax:

ahc:httpUri

with the following path and query parameters:

The AHC component supports 8 options which are listed below.

Notice that setting any of the options on the AhcComponent will propagate those options to AhcEndpoints being created. However the AhcEndpoint can also configure/override a custom option. Options set on endpoints will always take precedence over options from the AhcComponent.

Camel will store the HTTP response from the external server on the OUT body. All headers from the IN message will be copied to the OUT message, so headers are preserved during routing. Additionally Camel will add the HTTP response headers as well to the OUT message headers.

Camel will handle according to the HTTP response code:

This exception contains the following information:

The following algorithm is used to determine if either GET or POST HTTP method should be used:
1. Use method provided in header.
2. GET if query string is provided in header.
3. GET if endpoint is configured with a query string.
4. POST if there is data to send (body is not null).
5. GET otherwise.

You can set the HTTP producer’s URI directly form the endpoint URI. In the route below, Camel will call out to the external server, oldhost, using HTTP.

from("direct:start")
        .to("ahc:http://oldhost");

And the equivalent Spring sample:

<camelContext xmlns="http://activemq.apache.org/camel/schema/spring">
  <route>
    <from uri="direct:start"/>
    <to uri="ahc:http://oldhost"/>
  </route>
</camelContext>

You can override the HTTP endpoint URI by adding a header with the key, Exchange.HTTP_URI, on the message.

from("direct:start")
    .setHeader(Exchange.HTTP_URI, constant("http://newhost"))
    .to("ahc:http://oldhost");

The ahc producer supports URI parameters to be sent to the HTTP server. The URI parameters can either be set directly on the endpoint URI or as a header with the key Exchange.HTTP_QUERY on the message.

from("direct:start")
        .to("ahc:http://oldhost?order=123&detail=short");

Or options provided in a header:

from("direct:start")
            .setHeader(Exchange.HTTP_QUERY, constant("order=123&detail=short"))
        .to("ahc:http://oldhost");

The HTTP component provides a way to set the HTTP request method by setting the message header. Here is an example;

from("direct:start")
            .setHeader(Exchange.HTTP_METHOD, constant("POST"))
        .to("ahc:http://www.google.com")
            .to("mock:results");

And the equivalent Spring sample:

<camelContext xmlns="http://activemq.apache.org/camel/schema/spring">
  <route>
    <from uri="direct:start"/>
    <setHeader headerName="CamelHttpMethod">
        <constant>POST</constant>
    </setHeader>
    <to uri="ahc:http://www.google.com"/>
    <to uri="mock:results"/>
  </route>
</camelContext>

If you are using POST to send data you can configure the charset using the Exchange property:

exchange.setProperty(Exchange.CHARSET_NAME, "iso-8859-1");

// we query for Camel at the Google page
template.sendBody("ahc:http://www.google.com/search?q=Camel", null);

Map headers = new HashMap();
headers.put(Exchange.HTTP_QUERY, "q=Camel&lr=lang_en");
// we query for Camel and English language at Google
template.sendBody("ahc:http://www.google.com/search", null, headers);

Exchange exchange = template.send("ahc:http://www.google.com/search", new Processor() {
            public void process(Exchange exchange) throws Exception {
                exchange.getIn().setHeader(Exchange.HTTP_QUERY, constant("hl=en&q=activemq"));
            }
   });
   Message out = exchange.getOut();
   int responseCode = out.getHeader(Exchange.HTTP_RESPONSE_CODE, Integer.class);

The AsyncHttpClient client uses a AsyncHttpClientConfig to configure the client. See the documentation at
Async Http Client for more details.

In Camel 2.8, configuration is limited to using the builder pattern provided by AsyncHttpClientConfig.Builder. In Camel 2.8, the AsyncHttpClientConfig doesn’t support getters/setters so its not easy to create/configure using a Spring bean style (eg the <bean> tag in the XML file).

The example below shows how to use a builder to create the AsyncHttpClientConfig which we configure on the AhcComponent.

In Camel 2.9, the AHC component uses Async HTTP library 1.6.4. This newer version provides added support for plain bean style configuration. The AsyncHttpClientConfigBean class provides getters and setters for the configuration options available in AsyncHttpClientConfig. An instance of AsyncHttpClientConfigBean may be passed directly to the AHC component or referenced in an endpoint URI using the clientConfig URI parameter.

Also available in Camel 2.9 is the ability to set configuration options directly in the URI. URI parameters starting with "clientConfig." can be used to set the various configurable properties of AsyncHttpClientConfig. The properties specified in the endpoint URI are merged with those specified in the configuration referenced by the "clientConfig" URI parameter with those being set using the "clientConfig." parameter taking priority. The AsyncHttpClientConfig instance referenced is always copied for each endpoint such that settings on one endpoint will remain independent of settings on any previously created endpoints. The example below shows how to configure the AHC component using the "clientConfig." type URI parameters.

from("direct:start")
    .to("ahc:http://localhost:8080/foo?clientConfig.maxRequestRetry=3&clientConfig.followRedirects=true")

Using the JSSE Configuration Utility

As of Camel 2.9, the AHC component supports SSL/TLS configuration through the Camel JSSE Configuration Utility.  This utility greatly decreases the amount of component specific code you need to write and is configurable at the endpoint and component levels.  The following examples demonstrate how to use the utility with the AHC component.

Programmatic configuration of the component

KeyStoreParameters ksp = new KeyStoreParameters();
ksp.setResource("/users/home/server/keystore.jks");
ksp.setPassword("keystorePassword");

KeyManagersParameters kmp = new KeyManagersParameters();
kmp.setKeyStore(ksp);
kmp.setKeyPassword("keyPassword");

SSLContextParameters scp = new SSLContextParameters();
scp.setKeyManagers(kmp);

AhcComponent component = context.getComponent("ahc", AhcComponent.class);
component.setSslContextParameters(scp));

Spring DSL based configuration of endpoint

...
  <camel:sslContextParameters
      id="sslContextParameters">
    <camel:keyManagers
        keyPassword="keyPassword">
      <camel:keyStore
          resource="/users/home/server/keystore.jks"
          password="keystorePassword"/>
    </camel:keyManagers>
  </camel:sslContextParameters>...
...
  <to uri="ahc:https://localhost/foo?sslContextParameters=#sslContextParameters"/>
...