# HTTP Client reference

The `client` object provides access to the HTTP Client session metadata and lets you `[test](#test)` the HTTP response and `[log](#log)` text in the output. The object is reinitialized every time IntelliJ IDEA starts, without preserving data between IntelliJ IDEA restarts.

The `client` object also exposes the nested [global](#global-variables-storage-reference) object that serves as a variable storage.

## Methods

### test

Creates a test with the name `testName` and body `func`. All tests are executed after the response handler script. Test results are displayed in the Tests tab of the Services tool window.

|  Parameter  |  Type  |  Description  |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  testName  |  String  |  Test name  |
|  func  |  function  |  JavaScript function to test an HTTP response  |

### assert

Checks that the specified `condition` is `true`; throws an exception otherwise. The optional `message` parameter serves as an exception message.

|  Parameter  |  Type  |  Description  |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  condition  |  boolean  |  The condition to check in the response  |
|  message  |  String  |  The optional message to return in case the condition evaluates to false.  |

### log

Prints `text` to the output of the response handler or pre-request script and then terminates the line.

|  Parameter  |  Type  |  Description  |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  text  |  String  |  Text to be printed in the output of the response handler or pre-request script.  |

### exit

Terminates execution of the response handler script.

## Properties

### global

The [global variables storage](#global-variables-storage-reference), which is used for setting and removing global variables and headers.

Once you assign a value to a global variable (`client.global.set(VariableName, VariableValue)`), you can access it as `{{VariableName}}` in subsequent HTTP requests or using `client.global.get("VariableName")` in response handler scripts and pre-request scripts. See [Use global variables](http-response-handling-examples.html#script-var-example) for a more detailed example.

## Global variables and headers

The `global` object allows you to do the following:

* Set and get global variables.

* Set global headers. Global headers help you avoid repeated initialization of the same headers across multiple HTTP requests. Once set, they are implicitly applied to all subsequent requests within the same execution flow. Global headers are not intended to store persistent state. They are limited to a single execution flow and are designed to simplify header reuse. > **Tip:** > In the HTTP Client, an execution flow consists of a single request block. Each block may include a pre-request script (optional), the request itself, and a response handler (optional).

### set

Saves the variable with the `varName` name to the storage and sets its value to `varValue`. See [Use global variables](http-response-handling-examples.html#script-var-example) for a more detailed example.

|  Parameter  |  Type  |  Description  |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  varName  |  String  |  The name of the variable to be saved to the global storage.  |
|  varValue  |  String  |  The variable value to be saved to the global storage.  |

### get

Returns the value of the `varName` variable.

|  Parameter  |  Type  |  Description  |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  varName  |  String  |  The name of the variable to be returned.  |

### isEmpty

Checks whether the `global` object has no variables defined.

### clear

Removes the `varName` variable from the variables storage.

|  Parameter  |  Type  |  Description  |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  varName  |  String  |  The name of the variable to be removed.  |

### clearAll

Removes all variables from the variables storage.

### headers.set

Use `client.global.headers.set(headerName, headerValue)` to add the `headerName` header with the `headerValue`. For example:

```HTTP_REQUEST_FULL
client.global.headers.set("X-Our-Header-1", "value1")
```

When used in response handler scripts, the header is applied to all subsequent HTTP requests. When used in pre-request scripts, the header is applied to the current HTTP request and to all subsequent requests.

|  Parameter  |  Type  |  Description  |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  headerName  |  String  |  The name of the header to be used in HTTP requests.  |
|  headerValue  |  String  |  The header value.  |

To remove the header, use `null` as the value:

```HTTP_REQUEST_FULL
client.global.headers.clear(headerName, null))
```