HttpRequestMessageExtensions

Namespace: RA.Utilities.Integrations.Extensions

The HttpRequestMessageExtensions class is a static utility class that provides a set of convenient, reusable extension methods for working with HttpRequestMessage and its related components like HttpRequestHeaders and HttpRequestOptions.

Its primary purpose is to simplify common, and sometimes complex, operations that you might perform on HTTP requests, particularly within the context of DelegatingHandlers or other parts of the HttpClient pipeline.

Here's a breakdown of what each method does:

1. AddSafe(this HttpRequestHeaders headers, ...):

This method safely adds or updates a value in the request headers. It prevents exceptions that would normally occur if you try to add a header that already exists. Instead, it removes the old header and adds the new one.

Input parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
headers	HttpRequestHeaders	The HttpRequestHeaders collection to modify. This is the extension method's target.
name	string	The name of the header to add or update.
value	string	The value of the header.

Output parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
Returns	HttpRequestMessage	The modified headers collection.

Example

using System.Net.Http;
using RA.Utilities.Integrations.Extensions;
var request = new HttpRequestMessage();
request.Headers.Add("X-Api-Key", "initial-key");

// Safely update the existing header without causing an exception
request.Headers.AddSafe("X-Api-Key", "updated-key");

// Add a new header
request.Headers.AddSafe("X-Custom-Header", "custom-value");

// The header value will be "updated-key"
Console.WriteLine(request.Headers.GetValues("X-Api-Key").First());

2. GetClientIpAddress(this HttpRequestOptions httpRequestOptions):

This method extracts the original client's IP address from the request context. Finding the client IP can be complex as it differs between hosting environments (e.g., IIS vs. self-hosted). This method encapsulates that logic into a single, reliable call, which is invaluable for logging, auditing, or rate-limiting.

Input parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
httpRequestOptions	HttpRequestOptions	The options collection from an HttpRequestMessage`. This is the extension method's target.

Output parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
Returns	string	The client's IP address, or an empty string if it cannot be found.

Example

This method is typically used inside a DelegatingHandlers, where the hosting environment populates the HttpRequestOptions.

using System.Net.Http;
using System.Threading;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using RA.Utilities.Integrations.Extensions;

public class IpLoggingHandler : DelegatingHandler
{
    protected override async Task<HttpResponseMessage> SendAsync(
        HttpRequestMessage request,
        CancellationToken cancellationToken)
    {
        // The hosting environment (like ASP.NET Core) populates the request options.
        // This method checks for keys used by both self-hosted ('RemoteEndpointMessageProperty')
        // and IIS-hosted ('MS_HttpContext') environments.
        var clientIp = request.GetOptions().GetClientIpAddress();

        Console.WriteLine($"Request received from IP address: {clientIp}");

        return await base.SendAsync(request, cancellationToken);
    }
}

3. ToDictionary(this HttpHeaders headers):

This method converts a collection of HTTP headers into a simple Dictionary<string, string>. This provides an easy way to serialize headers for logging, inspection, or transmission. It correctly handles headers with multiple values by joining them with a comma.

Input parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
headers	HttpHeaders	The HttpHeaders collection to convert. This is the extension method's target.

Output parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
Returns	Dictionary<string, string>?	A dictionary representation of the headers, or null if the input is null.

Example

using System.Net.Http;
using System.Net.Http.Headers;
using RA.Utilities.Integrations.Extensions;

var request = new HttpRequestMessage();
request.Headers.Accept.Add(new MediaTypeWithQualityHeaderValue("application/json"));
request.Headers.Add("User-Agent", "My-App/1.0");
request.Headers.Add("X-Forwarded-For", "203.0.113.195");
request.Headers.Add("X-Forwarded-For", "70.41.3.18"); // Header with multiple values

var headersDictionary = request.Headers.ToDictionary();

// The dictionary will contain:
// {
//   "Accept": "application/json",
//   "User-Agent": "My-App/1.0",
//   "X-Forwarded-For": "203.0.113.195,70.41.3.18"
// }
foreach (var header in headersDictionary)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"{header.Key}: {header.Value}");
}

🧠 Summary

In short, this class is a toolkit of helpers that reduces boilerplate code, encapsulates complex logic, and makes working with HTTP requests more fluent and less error-prone.