How to Pass Basic Authentication Credentials with HtmlUnit WebClient

What are the steps to pass basic authentication credentials using HtmlUnit WebClient?

HtmlUnit is a popular Java library for testing web applications in a headless environment. When interacting with web services that require basic authentication, it is essential to correctly provide the necessary credentials with each request. Here’s how to do that using HtmlUnit WebClient.

import com.gargoylesoftware.htmlunit.WebClient;
import com.gargoylesoftware.htmlunit.util.CookieManager;
import com.gargoylesoftware.htmlunit.BrowserVersion;

public class AuthExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Create a WebClient instance
        WebClient webClient = new WebClient(BrowserVersion.CHROME);

        // Set up the WebClient to handle basic authentication
        webClient.getCredentialsProvider().addCredentials("username", "password");

        // Make your web request
        try {
            String response = webClient.getPage("http://example.com/protected/resource").asText();
            System.out.println(response);
        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } finally {
            webClient.close();
        }
    }
}

Causes

• Web applications often require basic authentication for security purposes.
• Failure to provide authentication credentials results in failed HTTP requests.

Solutions

• Create a `WebClient` instance in HtmlUnit.
• Set the authentication handler for the WebClient to automatically handle basic authentication.
• Make your requests using the authenticated WebClient.

Mistake: Not setting the correct credentials before making a request.

Solution: Ensure that the credentials are added to the `CredentialsProvider` of the `WebClient` before the request.

Mistake: Ignoring HTTP response codes that indicate authentication failure.

Solution: Always check the response code. HTTP status 401 indicates authorization failure.