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The client-side connection management and handling API
at the heart of what is referred to as <i>HttpConn</i>.
This component provides interfaces and implementations for
opening and managing connections.
<p>
The lowest layer of connection handling is comprised of
{@link org.apache.http.conn.OperatedClientConnection OperatedClientConnection}
and
{@link org.apache.http.conn.ClientConnectionOperator ClientConnectionOperator}.
The connection interface extends the core
{@link org.apache.http.HttpClientConnection HttpClientConnection}
by operations to set and update a socket.
An operator encapsulates the logic to open and layer sockets,
typically using a {@link org.apache.http.conn.scheme.SocketFactory SocketFactory}.
The socket factory for a protocol
{@link org.apache.http.conn.scheme.Scheme Scheme}
such as "http" or "https" can be looked up in a
{@link org.apache.http.conn.scheme.SchemeRegistry SchemeRegistry}.
Applications without a need for sophisticated connection management
can use this layer directly.
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<p>
On top of that lies the connection management layer. A
{@link org.apache.http.conn.ClientConnectionManager ClientConnectionManager}
internally manages operated connections, but hands out instances of
{@link org.apache.http.conn.ManagedClientConnection ManagedClientConnection}.
This interface abstracts from the underlying socket operations and
provides convenient methods for opening and updating sockets in order
to establish a {@link org.apache.http.conn.routing.HttpRoute route}.
The operator is encapsulated by the connection manager and called
automatically.
<br/>
Connections obtained from a manager have to be returned after use.
This can be {@link org.apache.http.conn.ConnectionReleaseTrigger triggered}
on various levels, either by releasing the
{@link org.apache.http.conn.ManagedClientConnection
connection}
directly, or by calling a method on an
{@link org.apache.http.conn.BasicManagedEntity entity}
received from the connection, or by closing the
{@link org.apache.http.conn.EofSensorInputStream stream}
from which that entity is being read.
Connection managers will try to keep returned connections alive in
order to re-use them for subsequent requests along the same route.
The managed connection interface and all triggers for connection release
provide methods to enable or disable this behavior.
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