New combinator to return routed path in response headers

[nbacquey]

This commit introduces a new type-level combinator, WithRoutingHeader. It modifies the behaviour of the following sub-API, such that all endpoints of said API return an additional routing header in their response.

A routing header is a header that specifies which endpoint the incoming request was routed to. Endpoint are designated by their path, in which Capture' and CaptureAll combinators are replaced by a capture hint.

This header can be used by downstream middlewares to gather information about individual endpoints, since in most cases a routing header uniquely identifies a single endpoint.

Example:

type MyApi =
  WithRoutingHeader :> "by-id" :> Capture "id" Int :> Get '[JSON] Foo
-- GET /by-id/1234 will return a response with the following header:
--   ("Servant-Routed-Path", "/by-id/<id::Int>")

To achieve this, two refactorings were necessary:

• Introduce a type RouterEnv env to encapsulate the env type (as in Router env a), which contains a tuple-encoded list of url pieces parsed from the incoming request. This type makes it possible to pass more information throughout the routing process, and the computation of the Delayed env c associated with each request.
• Introduce a new kind of router, which only modifies the RouterEnv, and doesn't affect the routing process otherwise: EnvRouter (RouterEnv env -> RouterEnv env) (Router' env a). This new router is used when encountering the WithRoutingHeader combinator in an API, to notify the endpoints of the sub-API that they must produce a routing header (this behaviour is disabled by default).

This PR also introduces Spec tests for the WithRoutingHeader combinator, which showcase some of its possible uses.

This PR is based upon #1556, and should remain WIP until it is merged.

Closes #1553

[tchoutri]

I would love to read a bit more on practical uses of this feature! Do you use this in tracing scenarios? Observability and Telemetry?

[nbacquey]

I would love to read a bit more on practical uses of this feature! Do you use this in tracing scenarios? Observability and Telemetry?

Indeed, my first motivation for this was to be able to use a middleware to observe the usage statistics and response time of the endpoints in my own API. I didn't want to use servant-ekg, because I wanted my middleware to be aware of Servant's fallback feature when capture fails ; I also preferred the routing to be done only once.

Also, I think this PR lays the groundwork for a whole new class of interesting features. For instance, I once needed to have a portion of my API failing fast on a certain error, instead of defaulting to subsequent choices defined by :<|>. With this PR merged, this behavior would be really easy to implement: you'd only need a new combinator that uses an EnvRouter, a new field in RouterEnv env, and the appropriate switch in runChoice

[tchoutri]

@nbacquey This is music to my ears.

[gdeest]

For instance, I once needed to have a portion of my API failing fast on a certain error, instead of defaulting to subsequent choices defined by :<|>.

I don't know what you exactly have in mind, but as a side note: it is already possible to do so to some extent.

E.g.:

data StrictMethodMatch

instance HasServer api context => HasServer (StrictMethodMatch :> api) context where
  type ServerT (StrictMethodMatch :> api) m = ServerT api m

  route Proxy ctx denv = tweakResponse turn405IntoFatalErrors (route (Proxy @api) ctx denv)
    where turn405IntoFatalErrors (Fail e@(ServerError{errHTTPCode = 405})) = FailFatal e
          turn405IntoFatalErrors response = response

  hoistServerWithContext _ pctx nat = hoistServerWithContext (Proxy @api) pctx nat

This combinator captures 405 errors from a sub-API, and turns them into fatal failures instead of continuing routing. It prevents 405 errors from, e.g., being swallowed by Raw combinators and turned into 404 errors by serveDirectoryFileServer.

[nbacquey]

I don't remember my specific usecase, but I hadn't thought about using tweakResponse like that, thanks for the tip!

[alpmestan]

With this PR merged, this behavior would be really easy to implement: you'd only need a new combinator that uses an EnvRouter, a new field in RouterEnv env, and the appropriate switch in runChoice

Do I understand correctly that this would require changing a type in servant and that the new combinator you describe would need to be based off a patched servant?

[nbacquey]

Do I understand correctly that this would require changing a type in servant and that the new combinator you describe would need to be based off a patched servant?

You are correct, this hypothetical new combinator would need to be based off a patched servant. My point was that the patch would be quite simple to write.

[nbacquey]

I rebased on the new version of #1556, which reinstates "real" type hints, instead of CaptureSingle/CaptureList

[nbacquey]

Added a fix to prevent WithRoutingHeader from breaking IsElem

[tchoutri]

@alpmestan @gdeest I would appreciate if we could bring this PR to a conclusion :)