############################################################################### # Steps to "How Rocket Works" ############################################################################### [[steps]] name = "Validation" color = "blue" content = ''' First, Rocket validates a matching request by ensuring that all of the types in a given handler can be derived from the incoming request. If the types cannot be derived, the request is forwarded to the next matching route until a route’s types validate or there are no more routes to try. If all routes fail, a customizable **404** error is returned. ```rust #[post("/user", data = "")] fn new_user(admin: AdminUser, new_user: Form) -> T { ... } ``` For the `new_user` handler above to be called, the following conditions must hold: * The request method must be `POST`. * The request path must be `/user`. * The request must contain `data` in its body. * The request metadata must authenticate an `AdminUser`. * The request body must be a form that parses into a `User` struct. ''' [[steps]] name = "Processing" color = "purple" content = ''' Next, the request is processed by an arbitrary handler. This is where most of the business logic in an application resides, and the part of your applications you’ll likely spend the most time writing. In Rocket, handlers are simply functions - that’s it! The only caveat is that the function’s return type must implement the `Responder` trait. The `new_user` function above is an example of a handler. ''' [[steps]] name = "Response" color = "red" content = ''' Finally, Rocket responds to the client by transforming the return value of the handler into an HTTP response. The HTTP response generated from the returned value depends on the type’s specific `Responder` trait implementation. ```rust fn route() -> T { ... } ``` If the function above is used as a handler, for instance, then the type `T` must implement `Responder`. Rocket provides many useful responder types out of the box. They include: * `Json`: Serializes the structure T into JSON and returns it to the client. * `Template`: Renders a template file and returns it to the client. * `Redirect`: Returns a properly formatted HTTP redirect. * `NamedFile`: Streams a given file to the client with the Content-Type taken from the file’s extension. * `Stream`: Streams data to the client from an arbitrary `Read` value. * Many Primitive Types: `String`, `&str`, `File`, `Option`, `Result`, and others all implement the `Responder` trait. '''