WebStorm HTTP Client inject variables from code

Question

How do inject variables to WebStorm HTTP Client from code, not separate .env.json?

Detail description.

Question about WebStorm, but actually it is related to HTTP Client plugin, which available in every JetBrains IDEA-based IDE. Someone calls it Rest client.

I want to create a dynamic demo for the class. But requests are based on the local setup.

I manage for now clean up the usual configurations, that do not use additional variables. Everything has come from the .env file and working as expected. But HTTP Client is like a completely separate program inside the IDE. It does not integrate with a project in any shape or form. It does not share run configuration. It does not use shell environment vars. Everyone in class needs to copy-paste the same info into a project and HTTP Client.

For example. Everyone in class has .env file where he did set-up variable API-URL="localhost:8084" and port is different. This is how their local rest server is set up.

Now, I am sharing example.rest with everyone. For example:

### RestAPI
GET https://{{api_url}}

They should have ability to run it and get result. Only option I have - to create http-client.env.json with

{
  "dev": {
    "api_url": "{{some public access url}}"
  },
  "local": {
    "api_url": "localhost:8084"
  }
}

And now each student need to change this env.json file for local setup.

Problem - Duplicating vars between different files. Manual goverment of git changes for this file.

So, is there any way how to share data between a project and HTTP Client?

Thank you for your ideas!

Read documentation:

• https://www.jetbrains.com/help/pycharm/http-client-in-product-code-editor.html
• https://www.jetbrains.com/help/pycharm/exploring-http-syntax.html

Answer 1

According to JetBrains staff, this is impossible and was done on purpose.

Their current vision - is that HTTP Client is a separate application and they avoid any further integration with main IDEs.

Links:

• Discussion with staff - https://intellij-support.jetbrains.com/hc/en-us/requests/4813628.
• Company vision as a separate app - https://blog.jetbrains.com/idea/2022/12/http-client-cli-run-requests-and-tests-on-ci/

PS As the only possible solution for this moment - add popularity to JetBrains issue to introduce this kind of functionality - https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/IDEA-314198/Allow-project-environment-injection-to-HTTP-Client