Custom Responses

The ctx.send.custom() method creates responses with full control over the body. Unlike the typed helpers, it sets no Content-Type on its own, so add one through the headers when the body needs it.

Basic Usage

import type { Context } from '@neabyte/deserve'

export function GET(ctx: Context): Response {
  // Status and headers stay optional
  return ctx.send.custom('Custom response body')
}

With Status Code

export function GET(ctx: Context): Response {
  // Set the response status to 404
  return ctx.send.custom('Not Found', { status: 404 })
}

With Custom Headers

Headers set through ctx.set.header() merge with headers from the options. Options headers take precedence when they conflict:

export function GET(ctx: Context): Response {
  // Header set on the context
  ctx.set.header('X-Custom', 'value')
  // Options can add more headers
  return ctx.send.custom('Response body', {
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/xml',
      'X-Additional': 'header'
    }
  })
}

Streaming Responses

A ReadableStream passed as the body streams to the client without buffering the whole response. This suits large data or server-sent events:

import type { Context } from '@neabyte/deserve'

export function GET(ctx: Context): Response {
  // Push two text chunks then close
  const stream = new ReadableStream({
    start(controller) {
      controller.enqueue(new TextEncoder().encode('Hello\n'))
      controller.enqueue(new TextEncoder().encode('World\n'))
      controller.close()
    }
  })
  // Stream becomes the response body
  return ctx.send.custom(stream, {
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'text/plain'
    }
  })
}

For template streaming, use ctx.render() with stream: true instead, which handles the DVE engine and content type for you.

Binary Responses

export function GET(ctx: Context): Response {
  // Send raw bytes with a type
  const binaryData = new Uint8Array([0x48, 0x65, 0x6c, 0x6c, 0x6f])
  return ctx.send.custom(binaryData, {
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/octet-stream'
    }
  })
}

XML Response

export function GET(ctx: Context): Response {
  // XML string with an XML type
  const xml = '<?xml version="1.0"?><data><message>Hello</message></data>'
  return ctx.send.custom(xml, {
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/xml'
    }
  })
}

Method Signature

ctx.send.custom(body: BodyInit | null, options?: SendInit): Response

• body - any BodyInit value (string, Blob, BufferSource, ReadableStream, etc.) or null
• options - optional status and headers