Implement HTTP API

[TracerDS]

This PR will allow you to fetch information from the server using the HTTP API.
I want it to work exactly like discord api (token, gateways, etc.)

[Fernando-A-Rocha]

Beautiful initiative. I see you want to implement getting players & max player count for starters. That's good!

[Fernando-A-Rocha]

What about HTTPS? And securing the api with an api key optionally?

[TracerDS]

Beautiful initiative. I see you want to implement getting players & max player count for starters. That's good!

I want to implement every function + maybe more 😉

[TracerDS]

What about HTTPS? And securing the api with an api key optionally?

HTTPS is out of control of this PR.
API depends on the server itself to maintain secure connection.
If the server has https handshake, so does api.

Hmm, api key might be generated via mta server. I'll keep that in mind when everything is done

[Fernando-A-Rocha]

Beautiful initiative. I see you want to implement getting players & max player count for starters. That's good!

I want to implement every function + maybe more 😉

Will this API feature be enabled by default? Possibly through a MTAserver.conf setting.

[TracerDS]

Beautiful initiative. I see you want to implement getting players & max player count for starters. That's good!

I want to implement every function + maybe more 😉

Will this API feature be enabled by default? Possibly through a MTAserver.conf setting.

probably, yes

[CrosRoad95]

Add at least some option to create custom api, mark old approach as outdated, change ehs lib to something more modern. Otherwise this feature will be underutilized

[TracerDS]

Add at least some option to create custom api

It will be added later

mark old approach as outdated

What old approach? exports?

change ehs lib to something more modern.

Other PR maybe

[jlillis]

It is already possible to implement your own HTTP API in Lua resources.

[TracerDS]

It is already possible to implement your own HTTP API in Lua resources.

Yes but its very limited. With this approach its very flexible and it is possible to easily adjust it to your needs without needing any resources.
You also have one endpoint only. With this change you can decide which endpoint you want to use

[Dutchman101]

How exactly does this feature use EHS?
The version of EHS (and EHS itself..) in MTA is ancient, from like 15 years ago, it's actually due to be replaced should someone be willing to.

Aren't there any implications of using an ancient implementation again, but for something else? It's already causing a ton of issues in its utilization for MTA's internal HTTP server.

[TracerDS]

How exactly does this feature use EHS? The version of EHS (and EHS itself..) in MTA is ancient, from like 15 years ago, it's actually due to be replaced should someone be willing to.

Aren't there any implications of using an ancient implementation again, but for something else? It's already causing a ton of issues in its utilization for MTA's internal HTTP server.

It only utilises EHS to register an endpoint. Everything else is handled by the mta code

[jlillis]

With this approach its very flexible and it is possible to easily adjust it to your needs without needing any resources.

The highest level of adjustment/customization options will come from it being implemented in Lua. There has been a general trend of servers re-implementing hardcoded features (the chatbox, F11 map, etc) in Lua for this reason.

You also have one endpoint only. With this change you can decide which endpoint you want to use

Not ideal, but I think that is an improvement that can be made to the current scheme.

[TracerDS]

With this approach its very flexible and it is possible to easily adjust it to your needs without needing any resources.

The highest level of adjustment/customization options will come from it being implemented in Lua. There has been a general trend of servers re-implementing hardcoded features (the chatbox, F11 map, etc) in Lua for this reason.

You also have one endpoint only. With this change you can decide which endpoint you want to use

Not ideal, but I think that is an improvement that can be made to the current scheme.

there is no point in having a lua resource just for that.
Lua is very limited and, comparing to this solution, slower.
Just because it can be done in Lua doesnt mean it have to be done in Lua.
Hell, we can accept this change and disable the api endpoint but then you'd be stuck with forced endpoint.

[CrosRoad95]

In my opinion, http server should be removed from server and instead separete application should be used to serve file and all http code should be removed from mta. Most hosting novadays offer separete "fast download" server anyway.
If you want to interface with your server from outside then use socket module, create new one that expose http api but this will not be part of mta.
I already had showned in past how easy it is to abuse http server

[Xenius97]

What if NodeJS were implemented on the server side? When integrated into MTA, it could be suitable for many things, including this.
Currently, we have developed our own preprocessor/backend based on a similar principle, with a NodeJS/Deno backend. In my opinion, Lua 5.1 isn’t very fast or efficient for such tasks, it's only adequate for basic operations and won’t handle more significant loads well.

[TracerDS]

What if NodeJS were implemented on the server side? When integrated into MTA, it could be suitable for many things, including this. Currently, we have developed our own preprocessor/backend based on a similar principle, with a NodeJS/Deno backend. In my opinion, Lua 5.1 isn’t very fast or efficient for such tasks, it's only adequate for basic operations and won’t handle more significant loads well.

there is no reason to include nodejs into already bloated code.
Connecting to NodeJS server is doable via Sockets module.
But thats all if its about connecting somewhere.

[Fernando-A-Rocha]

Im convinced that we have all we need with botder's newly added router features
https://wiki.multitheftauto.com/wiki/Resource_Web_Access#Router

[github-actions]

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[TracerDS]

Im not interested in advancing this PR further anymore.
If someone wants to refresh it, feel free to do so.