doc: improve documentation for raw headers in HTTP/2 APIs

pimterry · richardlau · commit afaa1ccb740e · 2025-09-20T06:16:11.000Z
PR-URL: #59633 Reviewed-By: Rafael Gonzaga <rafael.nunu@hotmail.com> Reviewed-By: Luigi Pinca <luigipinca@gmail.com> Reviewed-By: Gerhard Stöbich <deb2001-github@yahoo.de> Reviewed-By: Darshan Sen <raisinten@gmail.com>
diff --git a/doc/api/http2.md b/doc/api/http2.md
@@ -365,8 +365,7 @@ added: v8.4.0
 * `stream` {Http2Stream} A reference to the stream
 * `headers` {HTTP/2 Headers Object} An object describing the headers
 * `flags` {number} The associated numeric flags
-* `rawHeaders` {Array} An array containing the raw header names followed by
-  their respective values.
+* `rawHeaders` {HTTP/2 Raw Headers} An array containing the raw headers
 
 The `'stream'` event is emitted when a new `Http2Stream` is created.
 
@@ -1082,7 +1081,7 @@ changes:
     description: Allow passing headers in raw array format.
 -->
 
-* `headers` {HTTP/2 Headers Object|Array}
+* `headers` {HTTP/2 Headers Object|HTTP/2 Raw Headers}
 
 * `options` {Object}
   * `endStream` {boolean} `true` if the `Http2Stream` _writable_ side should
@@ -1683,11 +1682,12 @@ added: v8.4.0
 
 * `headers` {HTTP/2 Headers Object}
 * `flags` {number}
+* `rawHeaders` {HTTP/2 Raw Headers}
 
 The `'headers'` event is emitted when an additional block of headers is received
 for a stream, such as when a block of `1xx` informational headers is received.
-The listener callback is passed the [HTTP/2 Headers Object][] and flags
-associated with the headers.
+The listener callback is passed the [HTTP/2 Headers Object][], flags associated
+with the headers, and the headers in raw format (see [HTTP/2 Raw Headers][]).
 
 ```js
 stream.on('headers', (headers, flags) => {
@@ -1722,11 +1722,13 @@ added: v8.4.0
 
 * `headers` {HTTP/2 Headers Object}
 * `flags` {number}
+* `rawHeaders` {HTTP/2 Raw Headers}
 
 The `'response'` event is emitted when a response `HEADERS` frame has been
 received for this stream from the connected HTTP/2 server. The listener is
-invoked with two arguments: an `Object` containing the received
-[HTTP/2 Headers Object][], and flags associated with the headers.
+invoked with three arguments: an `Object` containing the received
+[HTTP/2 Headers Object][], flags associated with the headers, and the headers
+in raw format (see [HTTP/2 Raw Headers][]).
 
 ```mjs
 import { connect } from 'node:http2';
@@ -1874,7 +1876,7 @@ changes:
     description: Allow explicitly setting date headers.
 -->
 
-* `headers` {HTTP/2 Headers Object|Array}
+* `headers` {HTTP/2 Headers Object|HTTP/2 Raw Headers}
 * `options` {Object}
   * `endStream` {boolean} Set to `true` to indicate that the response will not
     include payload data.
@@ -2358,8 +2360,7 @@ added: v8.4.0
 * `stream` {Http2Stream} A reference to the stream
 * `headers` {HTTP/2 Headers Object} An object describing the headers
 * `flags` {number} The associated numeric flags
-* `rawHeaders` {Array} An array containing the raw header names followed by
-  their respective values.
+* `rawHeaders` {HTTP/2 Raw Headers} An array containing the raw headers
 
 The `'stream'` event is emitted when a `'stream'` event has been emitted by
 an `Http2Session` associated with the server.
@@ -2612,8 +2613,7 @@ added: v8.4.0
 * `stream` {Http2Stream} A reference to the stream
 * `headers` {HTTP/2 Headers Object} An object describing the headers
 * `flags` {number} The associated numeric flags
-* `rawHeaders` {Array} An array containing the raw header names followed by
-  their respective values.
+* `rawHeaders` {HTTP/2 Raw Headers} An array containing the raw headers
 
 The `'stream'` event is emitted when a `'stream'` event has been emitted by
 an `Http2Session` associated with the server.
@@ -3455,6 +3455,32 @@ server.on('stream', (stream, headers) => {
 });
 ```
 
+#### Raw headers
+
+In some APIs, in addition to object format, headers can also be passed or
+accessed as a raw flat array, preserving details of ordering and
+duplicate keys to match the raw transmission format.
+
+In this format the keys and values are in the same list. It is _not_ a
+list of tuples. So, the even-numbered offsets are key values, and the
+odd-numbered offsets are the associated values. Duplicate headers are
+not merged and so each key-value pair will appear separately.
+
+This can be useful for cases such as proxies, where existing headers
+should be exactly forwarded as received, or as a performance
+optimization when the headers are already available in raw format.
+
+```js
+const rawHeaders = [
+  ':status',
+  '404',
+  'content-type',
+  'text/plain',
+];
+
+stream.respond(rawHeaders);
+```
+
 #### Sensitive headers
 
 HTTP2 headers can be marked as sensitive, which means that the HTTP/2
@@ -3481,6 +3507,10 @@ this flag is set automatically.
 This property is also set for received headers. It will contain the names of
 all headers marked as sensitive, including ones marked that way automatically.
 
+For raw headers, this should still be set as a property on the array, like
+`rawHeadersArray[http2.sensitiveHeaders] = ['cookie']`, not as a separate key
+and value pair within the array itself.
+
 ### Settings object
 
 <!-- YAML
@@ -4077,16 +4107,10 @@ The request method as a string. Read-only. Examples: `'GET'`, `'DELETE'`.
 added: v8.4.0
 -->
 
-* Type: {string\[]}
+* Type: {HTTP/2 Raw Headers}
 
 The raw request/response headers list exactly as they were received.
 
-The keys and values are in the same list. It is _not_ a
-list of tuples. So, the even-numbered offsets are key values, and the
-odd-numbered offsets are the associated values.
-
-Header names are not lowercased, and duplicates are not merged.
-
 ```js
 // Prints something like:
 //
@@ -4767,7 +4791,7 @@ changes:
 
 * `statusCode` {number}
 * `statusMessage` {string}
-* `headers` {Object|Array}
+* `headers` {HTTP/2 Headers Object|HTTP/2 Raw Headers}
 * Returns: {http2.Http2ServerResponse}
 
 Sends a response header to the request. The status code is a 3-digit HTTP
@@ -4911,6 +4935,7 @@ you need to implement any fall-back behavior yourself.
 [HTTP/1]: http.md
 [HTTP/2]: https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7540
 [HTTP/2 Headers Object]: #headers-object
+[HTTP/2 Raw Headers]: #raw-headers
 [HTTP/2 Settings Object]: #settings-object
 [HTTP/2 Unencrypted]: https://http2.github.io/faq/#does-http2-require-encryption
 [HTTPS]: https.md
diff --git a/tools/doc/type-parser.mjs b/tools/doc/type-parser.mjs
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ const customTypesMap = {
   'ClientHttp2Session': 'http2.html#class-clienthttp2session',
   'ClientHttp2Stream': 'http2.html#class-clienthttp2stream',
   'HTTP/2 Headers Object': 'http2.html#headers-object',
+  'HTTP/2 Raw Headers': 'http2.html#raw-headers',
   'HTTP/2 Settings Object': 'http2.html#settings-object',
   'http2.Http2ServerRequest': 'http2.html#class-http2http2serverrequest',
   'http2.Http2ServerResponse':
