HTTP Parsing Rules

HTTP parsing rules are specified by XML nodes with the name HttpParsingRule.

Purpose

HTTP parsing rules specify when the Recorder should generate the parsing function WebParseDataBoundEx() for dynamically changing values, and then substitute parsing results where appropriate. This enables the Recorder to directly generate working scripts-and thereby eliminates the need for visual script customization using TrueLog Explorer.

When recording HTTP traffic, the Recorder applies HTTP parsing rules with the following settings:

Page-level Web API
Low-level Web API with/without automatic page detection

The Recorder does not apply HTTP parsing rules when recording HTTP traffic with the TCP/IP-level API setting.

How HTTP Parsing Rule Application Works

HTTP parsing rule application involves two main steps:

Finding possible replacements (called "Rule Hits" or simply "Hits").
Scripting parsing functions and replacements.

Details regarding both steps can be specified in HTTP parsing rules.

Finding possible replacements

During recording, each server response is parsed for rule hits. HTTP parsing rules specify how parsing is to be done and which parsing results (hits) are to be retained for future use. Parsing functions are not generated in this step; hits are simply retained for future use.

Scripting Parsing Functions

When the Recorder scripts a string value (either a parameter of a function, or a form field value or name), it examines all identified hits and determines a set of hits that are non-overlapping substrings of the string that is to be scripted. The Recorder then scripts the necessary parsing functions and replacements, rather than scripting the original string.