hardly

Headline COUNTS of a capture: requests per server, method and status, plus main_host (the app origin, not CDN/analytics). Run right after hardly_session_open; pass main_host as host= to later tools. Example: hardly_session_overview(session_id='S'). Distributions (content types, sizes, timing) are hardly_session_traffic_stats; findings with severity are hardly_session_report; a digest of a server-rendered site is hardly_session_site_brief.

Suggest browser steps (goto/fill/click) from a session's story, ready for hardly_browser_run_steps. Heuristic: refine selectors with hardly_browser_inspect first. Nothing is run or written (hardly_write_export format=plan_steps saves them). Example: hardly_session_plan_steps(session_id='S').

List the RECORDED 3xx redirect hops with matched follow-up entry ids; sends nothing. Use to understand login/canonicalisation redirects; the live twin that follows a URL is hardly_send_redirect_walk. Example: hardly_session_redirect_history(session_id='S').

One-pass evidence index (access, auth, stack, data, forms): FINDINGS with severity info|notice|blocker and the drill-down tool for each. Start here for any unfamiliar capture; detail='summary' is ~1 KB. Example: hardly_session_report(session_id='S', detail='summary'). Runs the existing detectors once and returns findings {section, kind, severity, label, entry_ids, names/shapes only, lookup}. detail: summary (counts per section + blockers) | standard | full (more findings + the drill-down tool per finding). ``categories`` restricts the sections (access, auth, stack, data, forms). Never returns secret values. explain=true adds canned prose. Writes nothing: hardly_write_export(format='report') saves it.

One-shot DIGEST of a server-rendered site: journey (story), forms, routes, reused values, cookies and issues in a compact result. Run this first on a freshly opened session of an HTML portal, then drill down with the tools it names. Example: hardly_session_site_brief(session_id='S'). Findings with severities are hardly_session_report. Writes nothing: hardly_write_export (format='site_brief') saves it as Markdown.

List the slowest requests (time_ms) first. Use for performance questions; for the general traffic shape use hardly_session_traffic_stats. Example: hardly_session_slow_requests(session_id='S', min_elapsed_seconds=1).

Run a read-only SELECT against the session's SQLite index. Escape hatch for questions no named tool answers; try those first. Example: hardly_session_sql(session_id='S', sql='select host, count(*) from entries group by host').

Annotated user-journey NARRATIVE: the session stitched into steps (role, forms, labels, fields) with duplicates collapsed. Prefer it over the plain list hardly_session_timeline when reversing portals or building a client. Example: hardly_session_story(session_id='S', host='app.example.com'). It is the input to hardly_client_build. include_related=true adds non-noise traffic from sibling hosts on the same apex so SPA captures tell a full story.

Plain ordered LIST of requests in time order for a host, optionally from a path_prefix; no annotation. Raw timeline for login/MFA sequences; hardly_session_story is the condensed narrative. Example: hardly_session_timeline(session_id='S', path_prefix='/login').

Trace a field name or exact value across a capture: where it first appears and where it is reused. With neither name nor value, list every dynamic value (CSRF, ViewState, session cookies, tokens) reused from earlier responses. Example: hardly_session_trace_value(session_id='S', name='csrf_token'). Values are never echoed back, only entry ids, location and shape.

DISTRIBUTIONS of a capture: MIME mix, status classes, body sizes, initiator types, timing and payload_kinds. Each has sample entry_ids. Example: hardly_session_traffic_stats(session_id='S', host='app.example.com'). Counts per server/method/status are hardly_session_overview; slow requests hardly_session_slow_requests; repeated calls hardly_session_duplicates. ``kind`` filters the payload_kinds list; ``limit`` caps it (default 80).

Compare a capture with a previously written OpenAPI file and report drift (new/removed endpoints, status, field, parameter, auth changes). Offline; removed means not observed. Example: hardly_spec_contract_check(session_id='S', spec_path='/data/api.yaml').

Fingerprint web frameworks, CMS, GIS stacks, UI toolkits and data-grid widgets from header/cookie names, paths and body previews. Absent technology gives count 0. Example: hardly_tech_stack(session_id='S', explain=true). explain=true adds SDK implications. Data-grid frameworks, JSON envelope conventions (OData, JSON:API, HAL, Relay) and paging/sort styles are under ``data_grids``. For CDN/WAF products use hardly_gate_bot_protection.

Writes a file: add or update one target in a catalog file in place (atomic, no network). URLs are redacted and validated. create=true makes the file if missing. Example: hardly_write_catalog_record(catalog_path='/data/targets.json', target={'id':'t1','endpoints':[{'role':'api','url':'https://example.com/api'}]}, create=true). Writes only inside the working directory, the OS temp dir or HARDLY_WRITE_DIRS (path_not_allowed). Only that one target changes (there is no overwrite flag; merge=false replaces the target). ``target`` is {id, name, tags[], groups{}, endpoints:[{role, url, kind?, status?, gate_classes?, stack?, notes?, capture?:{recipe_ref, har_ref}}]}. merge=true unions tags, overlays groups and merges endpoints by (role, url); merge=false replaces the target.

Writes a file: export the session as format openapi, postman, api_markdown, site_brief, report, client_python or plan_steps to output_path. Secrets are redacted or placeholders; refuses to overwrite unless overwrite=true. Example: hardly_write_export(session_id='S', format='openapi', output_path='/tmp/api.yaml', host='api.example.com'). Writes only inside the working directory, the OS temp dir or HARDLY_WRITE_DIRS (path_not_allowed). openapi: OpenAPI 3 (JSON or YAML by file extension; input to hardly_spec_contract_check). postman: Collection v2.1 with {{placeholders}} (``title`` names it). api_markdown: API.md of the endpoints (``max_endpoints``, default 200). site_brief: the hardly_session_site_brief digest as Markdown. report: the hardly_session_report findings (``detail`` summary|standard|full, ``categories``; .json path = JSON, else Markdown; a directory gets <har>.report.md). client_python: the starter urllib client of hardly_client_build (``entry_ids``, ``class_name``). plan_steps: the JSON steps of hardly_session_plan_steps (``limit``).

Writes a file: merge several HARs into output_path, prefixing page ids and dropping exact duplicates (dedupe=true). Needs overwrite=true to replace. Example: hardly_write_har_merged(har_paths=['/data/a.har','/data/b.har'], output_path='/data/all.har'). Writes only inside the working directory, the OS temp dir or HARDLY_WRITE_DIRS (path_not_allowed).

Writes a file: a pruned copy of a HAR (drop hosts, mime globs, known noise); never in place, refuses an existing output_path unless overwrite=true. Example: hardly_write_har_pruned(har_path='/data/a.har', output_path='/data/a.small.har', drop_noise=true). Writes only inside the working directory, the OS temp dir or HARDLY_WRITE_DIRS (path_not_allowed).

Writes a file: a scrubbed copy of a HAR with secret values, cookies and auth headers replaced by ***REDACTED*** (structure and shapes kept). Never in place; needs overwrite=true to replace. Example: hardly_write_har_scrubbed(har_path='/data/a.har', output_path='/data/a.scrubbed.har'). Writes only inside the working directory, the OS temp dir or HARDLY_WRITE_DIRS (path_not_allowed).

Writes files: split a HAR into one file per host (by='host') or per page (by='page') inside output_dir, streaming. Example: hardly_write_har_split(har_path='/data/a.har', output_dir='/data/parts'). Writes only inside the working directory, the OS temp dir or HARDLY_WRITE_DIRS (path_not_allowed). Use for huge captures, then hardly_session_open each part. Refuses to overwrite existing parts unless overwrite=true.

Writes a file: save a PNG screenshot of the running browser tab to output_path. Use to show a person or inspect a wall; refuses to overwrite unless overwrite=true. Example: hardly_write_screenshot(output_path='/tmp/page.png', full_page=true). Writes only inside the working directory, the OS temp dir or HARDLY_WRITE_DIRS (path_not_allowed).

Writes a file: save a copy of the session's source HAR (format='har') or its SQLite index (format='index') to output_path. Never in place; refuses to overwrite unless overwrite=true. Example: hardly_write_session_copy(session_id='S', output_path='/data/keep.har'). Writes only inside the working directory, the OS temp dir or HARDLY_WRITE_DIRS (path_not_allowed). An ephemeral capture's HAR is already deleted (code har_ephemeral_gone): save the index instead, or capture again with har_output_path.