alice 2.0.0

Advanced HTTP network inspector and logger for Flutter. Intercepts REST API requests and responses with a native UI for seamless debugging.

Alice - HTTP Inspector for Flutter

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Why Alice?

Alice catches your app's HTTP traffic so you can debug API issues without a proxy: headers, body, response times, the works. All viewable on-device via a built-in UI.

Whether you are hunting down a broken payload, checking headers, or monitoring performance, Alice gives you what you need directly inside your app. Inspired by Chuck and Chucker.

Screenshots

Calls List	Request Details	JSON Viewer	Timeline
Stats Dashboard	Advanced Search	Request Replay	Dark Mode

Key Features

🔍 Deep Inspection

• Detailed logs for every HTTP call (Headers, Body, Query Parameters, Timestamps)
• Interactive tree-based JSON & XML viewer with node collapsing/expanding
• Copy JSONPath, values, or subtree on long press
• Gantt chart Timeline to visually inspect staggered HTTP calls
• Powerful HTTP calls search (with advanced syntax filters) and filtering
• Programmatic Call Tagging (e.g., alice.tag(tag: 'login-flow'))
• Automatic N+1 duplicate request detection
• Capture-time security redaction for sensitive headers, cookies, query params, and body keys
• Statistics dashboard (bandwidth, success rate, call counts, ratio bars)
• Flutter & Android native log integration
• Dart VM Service extensions (ext.alice.*) in debug builds for IDE and AI coding agent querying

🛠️ Broad Compatibility

• Supports all major Dart HTTP clients: Dio, Retrofit, http, HttpClient (dart:io), Chopper, and GraphQL
• Standalone notification package (alice_notification) keeping core Alice free of native OS dependencies

📱 UX & Workflow

• Draggable in-app floating overlay bubble (showOverlayBubble: true) with live call stats, in-flight spinner, and color-coded badges
• Request Replay: resend HTTP calls directly from the inspector
• Shake the device to open the inspector
• Optional system notifications on HTTP calls via alice_notification
• Export and save HTTP calls to file (TXT or HAR) for easy sharing
• Persistent storage support (via ObjectBox)

Quick Start

1. Add dependency

Add the core Alice package (and whichever client adapters you need) to your pubspec.yaml:

dependencies:
  alice: ^2.0.0
  # Add client adapter(s) as needed, e.g.:
  # alice_dio: ^1.4.0
  # Add notifications if desired:
  # alice_notification: ^1.0.0

2. Initialize Alice

Create an instance of Alice with your preferred configuration:

import 'package:alice/alice.dart';
import 'package:alice_notification/alice_notification.dart'; // optional

final configuration = AliceConfiguration(
  showOverlayBubble: true, // Draggable in-app stats pill
  notificationAdapter: AliceLocalNotification(), // Optional OS notifications
  redactedHeaders: {'authorization', 'cookie', 'x-api-key'},
  redactedBodyKeys: {'password', 'token', 'secret'},
);

final alice = Alice(configuration: configuration);

3. Register the Navigator Key

Pass Alice's navigator key to your MaterialApp or CupertinoApp so she can open the UI:

MaterialApp(
  navigatorKey: alice.getNavigatorKey(),
  home: Scaffold(...),
)

4. Attach to your HTTP Client

Attach an adapter to your HTTP client. For example, using Dio:

import 'package:dio/dio.dart';
import 'package:alice_dio/alice_dio_adapter.dart';

final aliceDioAdapter = AliceDioAdapter();
alice.addAdapter(aliceDioAdapter);

final dio = Dio()..interceptors.add(aliceDioAdapter);

// Now make requests! Alice records them automatically.
dio.get("https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts");

Floating Overlay Bubble

Set showOverlayBubble: true in AliceConfiguration to display a draggable floating pill counter over your application:

• Auto-revealed: Stays hidden until the first HTTP call is recorded.
• Alice Color Scheme: Green dot and badge for successful calls (2xx), orange spinner and badge for in-flight requests, and red badge for failed calls (4xx/5xx).
• Tap to open: Tapping the bubble opens the full inspector; dragging repositions it anywhere on screen.
• Programmatic control:
  • alice.showOverlayBubble(): Manually mounts or restores the bubble.
  • alice.hideOverlayBubble(): Manually hides the bubble.
  • alice.isOverlayBubbleVisible: Checks if the bubble is currently mounted.

Security Redaction

Prevent API keys, passwords, and tokens from leaking into logs, exports, or screenshots:

AliceConfiguration(
  redactedHeaders: {'authorization', 'x-api-key', 'cookie'},
  redactedBodyKeys: {'password', 'token', 'secret', 'client_secret'},
  redactionReplacement: '***REDACTED***', // Defaults to '[REDACTED]'
)

Redaction happens at capture time before storage, covering JSON/Map objects recursively, query parameters, form fields, and x-www-form-urlencoded bodies.

VM Service Extensions

In debug mode (kDebugMode), Alice registers VM Service extensions that IDEs, DevTools, or AI agents can query without opening the UI:

• ext.alice.getCalls: List intercepted calls with method, URI, duration, and status.
• ext.alice.getCallDetails: Retrieve full request/response details for a call by ID.
• ext.alice.getStats: Read live stats (total, loading, successes, redirects, errors).
• ext.alice.openInspector: Trigger Alice UI navigation programmatically.
• ext.alice.clearCalls: Flush in-memory calls.

Architecture: Why Multiple Packages?

Alice uses a modular multi-package architecture (e.g., alice_dio, alice_http, alice_notification).

Many similar inspector packages force you to pull in a massive dependency tree (Dio, HTTP, Chopper, GraphQL, local notifications) all at once, even if your app only uses one. This bloats app size, slows build times, and causes dependency conflicts.

With Alice, you only install the core alice package and the specific adapter you need.

Documentation

For complete setup instructions, advanced configuration, and plugin details, please check the Full Documentation.

Custom Integrations & Enterprise Support

Alice has been the go-to Flutter HTTP inspector since its first release, and the ecosystem keeps growing. If your team needs something beyond what's here (a custom adapter for an internal HTTP client, a bespoke export format, enterprise storage backend, or anything else), I'm available for consulting.

Let's talk on LinkedIn →