Optimize HEAD requests for stats endpoint #592
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- Add http_method field to connection structure to store HTTP method - Store HTTP method during request processing for later use - Skip response body generation and transmission for HEAD requests to stats endpoint - Maintain full functionality for GET requests - Reduces I/O overhead and network traffic for HEAD requests - Improves RFC compliance by properly handling HEAD method semantics This change ensures HEAD requests to the stats endpoint return appropriate headers without the response body, reducing unnecessary file I/O and network overhead while maintaining backward compatibility.
rofl0r
reviewed
Dec 15, 2025
src/conns.h
Outdated
| char *request_line; | ||
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| /* The HTTP method from the request line */ | ||
| char *http_method; |
Contributor
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it's inefficient and error-prone to use heap-allocated strings to store a single boolean flag "is_head_method". if we cared about the method type elsewhere, we could use "enum http_method" but since we don't that would be overkill for the moment. so just use an int or char set to TRUE or FALSE like we do elsewhere in order not to pull in dependencies on stdbool.h.
Author
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thank you for your feedback, also changed the returning headers sooner to avoid stats file processing at all
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Summary
Optimize HEAD requests for the stats endpoint by skipping response body generation and transmission while maintaining full functionality for GET requests.
Changes
http_methodfield to connection structure to store HTTP methodBenefits
Testing
This addresses the performance optimization opportunity where HEAD requests were previously processing and sending the full response body unnecessarily.