# before\_http\_request hook

The `before_http_request` hook gets called with each request just before it proceeds. It can be used for many things:

* globally logging requests
* inserting a particular cassette based on the request URI host
* raising a timeout error

  You can also pass one or more "filters" to `before_http_request`, to make the hook only be called for some requests. Any object that responds to `#to_proc` can be a filter. Here are some simple examples:
* `:real?` -- only real requests
* `:stubbed?` -- only stubbed requests
* `:ignored?` -- only ignored requests
* `:recordable?` -- only requests that are being recorded
* `lambda { |r| URI(r.uri).host == 'amazon.com' }` -- only requests to amazon.com.

## log all requests using a before\_http\_request hook

*Given* a file named "before\_http\_request.rb" with:

```
include_http_adapter_for("<http_lib>")

if ARGV.include?('--with-server')
  $server = start_sinatra_app do
    get('/') { "Hello World" }
  end
end

require 'vcr'

VCR.configure do |c|
  <configuration>
  c.cassette_library_dir = 'cassettes'
  c.before_http_request(:real?) do |request|
    File.open(ARGV.first, 'w') do |f|
      f.write("before real request: #{request.method} #{request.uri}")
    end
  end
end

VCR.use_cassette('hook_example') do
  port = $server ? $server.port : 0
  make_http_request(:get, "http://localhost:#{port}/")
end
```

*When* I run `ruby before_http_request.rb run1.log --with-server`

*Given* that port numbers in "run1.log" are normalized to "7777"

*Then* the file "run1.log" should contain "before real request: get <http://localhost:7777/>"

*When* I run `ruby before_http_request.rb run2.log`

*Then* the file "run2.log" should not exist.

### Examples

| configuration          | http\_lib              |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------- |
| c.hook\_into :webmock  | net/http               |
| c.hook\_into :webmock  | httpclient             |
| c.hook\_into :webmock  | curb                   |
| c.hook\_into :typhoeus | typhoeus               |
| c.hook\_into :excon    | excon                  |
| c.hook\_into :faraday  | faraday (w/ net\_http) |