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Enhancing HTTP Requests with HttpServletRequestWrapper

Manpreet Singh
3 min readSep 2, 2023

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Servlets are a crucial component of Java web applications, serving as the backbone for processing HTTP requests and generating responses. While the standard HttpServletRequest offers a wide range of functionality, there may be scenarios where you need to customize or extend its behavior without altering the original request object. This is where the HttpServletRequestWrapper comes into play. In this article, we'll explore how to override methods of HttpServletRequest using HttpServletRequestWrapper to meet your specific application needs.

Understanding HttpServletRequest and Its Limitations

The HttpServletRequest interface provides a comprehensive set of methods to retrieve information about an incoming HTTP request. This includes details like request parameters, headers, session attributes, and more. However, there are situations where you may want to modify or augment this information dynamically before it's processed by your servlet.

Consider a case where you need to add custom headers, manipulate request parameters, or modify the request URI based on certain conditions. Directly modifying the original HttpServletRequest is discouraged, as it could affect other parts of the application and introduce maintenance challenges.

Here’s where HttpServletRequestWrapper can be immensely helpful. It allows you to create a custom wrapper around the original request, selectively overriding methods to modify the request data as needed while keeping the…

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Manpreet Singh
Manpreet Singh

Written by Manpreet Singh

Software developer who loves writing about programming, technology, passive income strategies etc.

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