Advanced Rest Client version 14 release

Version 14 of Advanced Rest Client has been released. You can install it from ARC releases page.

This release comes with complete rewrite of code base and few new features. Read more for a full list of changes.

ARC version 14 main view

Highlights

Workspaces

ARC now support workspaces. It allows you to save current arrangement of requests to a file and share it with others. After opening the file in ARC it restores the same view and requests configuration.

This could be used for learning purposes. You can share your requests configuration and instruct your audience of how to test your API step by step (or rather tab by tab).

Workspace detail

You can add workspace description as Markdown, information about version, publication time, and the author.

Workspace detail editor

Request configuration

Use request configuration to override application or workspace configuration. Options defined on a request are applied to this particular request and won't affect other requests.

Request configuration options

At the moment you can change whether the request should follow redirects, request timeout, enable or disable SSL certificates validation, enable Node HTTP client (instead of ARC's), and to enable default headers (accept and user agent).

Image / PDF preview

The response view now shows images instead of binary string.

Response image view

When the response is a PDF file then it renders information about the file and allows you to save the PDF file to disk.

Default headers

ARC now allows you to add default headers: user-agent and accept to each request automatically. This way ARC behaves like cURL command and may help you test APIs that requires both values. The option is available in Settings panel > Request settings (global configuration) and in request config.

Code snippets in the request editor

Code snippets has been moved from context menu to request editor. It renders an example of running the request in various languages and frameworks.

New API Console

The API Console has been upgraded to latest version. It contains several design and technological changes. The API Console renders when you open RAML or OAS specification file in File > Open file menu option.

API Console in Advanced REST Client

Exchange authentication

Now ARC uses new authorization server for OAuth 2 connected applications. In APIs explore screen you can log in to your Exchange account to list your organization APIs.

Exchange API assets view

New stuff

• Click on a link in the response view with CTRL/CMD key pressed opens new GET request in new tab
• Now workspace has its own configuration file with set structure (see this document for more information) 
• Now it is possible to define variables on a workspace level. Workspace variables overrides application variables in case of conflict. With this release it is only possible to define variables in the configuration file. 
• Added export dialog to the request editor. It will now use the same UI as other parts of the application.
• Adding configuration option to automatically add basic request headers: accept and user-agent. This way that application behaves like cURL. 

Note, workspace configuration development is planned for several releases as it is a complex change in the application. Next planned change is to add variables editor for the request.

Changes

• Web session URL input has been moved to the workspace instead of ARC application frame. It allows to configure the session URL per workspace.
• Replaced default export file extension from "json" to "arc". 
• Redesigned application themes. Updated styles for Dark and Anypoint themes. Now theme definition is a regular CSS file. 
• Now changing a theme does not require application reload. 
• Moving code snippets from workspace to request editor. 
• Exchange search screen now is using new authorization server that fully support OAuth 2 protocol. 
• API Console has been redesigned. It also has new web components. The request panel has been simplified.
• Variables list now masks values by default. It allows you to use the view when presenting to others.

Bug fixes

• Content-* headers on GET request - now the application warns you before sending this headers with GET request. This headers can mess up the request on the server side.
• Export to Google Drive flow. Authorization is fixed and the app is enabled to use Google Drive data. 
• Fixed export dialog in the history panel to include default file name. 
• Fixed z-index of the toolbar to restore variables overlay rendering.

We hope you will ❤ this release as much as we do. As always we are happy to learn more how you use ARC and how we can make it better for you. Contact us via GitHub or send an email to arc@mulesoft.com.