Fast Forward PSR-7 HTTP Message utility classes

What PHP version do I need?

You need PHP 8.3 or newer. See Compatibility for the full runtime matrix.

Is this a full PSR-7 implementation?

Not by itself. This package builds on nyholm/psr7 and adds convenience responses, payload-aware JSON handling, and typed HTTP helpers on top of a PSR-7 implementation.

Which response should I start with?

If you are building an API, start with JSON Response. If you are returning browser markup, start with HTML Response. If you need no body at all, use Empty Response.

How do I return HTTP 201, 202, or another non-default status?

Create the response you want first, then call withStatus() :

use FastForward\Http\Message\JsonResponse;
use FastForward\Http\Message\StatusCode;

$response = (new JsonResponse(['saved' => true]))
    ->withStatus(StatusCode::Created->value);

How do I change a JSON payload after creating the response?

Use withPayload() . It returns a new response instance and leaves the original one unchanged. See JSON Response.

What is the difference between JsonResponse and JsonStream?

JsonResponse is a full PSR-7 response object. JsonStream is only the body stream. Use JsonStream when you need the JSON-encoded body without creating the full response yet.

What happens if my payload cannot be encoded as JSON?

Encoding fails early. JsonStream and JsonResponse may throw JsonException or InvalidArgumentException . See Troubleshooting.

Can I use this package with any framework?

Yes, as long as the framework works with PSR-7 objects. The package is intentionally framework-agnostic.

Does the package include a service provider or PSR-17 factories?

No. For that, use fast-forward/http-factory. See Factories and Container Integration.

Can I extend the built-in response classes?

No. The built-in response classes are final . If you need custom behavior, use composition or build your own class with PayloadResponseInterface and JsonStream . See Customization.

How do I parse Authorization headers safely?

Use the Authorization helpers documented in Header Utilities. They return structured credential objects or null when parsing fails.

How do I decide whether to serve HTML or JSON?

Use Accept::getBestMatch() with the media types your endpoint supports. See Header Utilities and Use Cases.

How do I know whether a client accepts a compressed response?

Use ContentEncoding::isSupported() with the encoding you want to send and the raw Accept-Encoding header value.

Can RedirectResponse be used with relative URLs?

Yes. RedirectResponse accepts both strings and UriInterface instances, including relative paths.

FAQ