spy-server

Test server that spies on requests and serves fixtured responses

This was built as a successor to fixed-server. We had frustration with testing non-repeatable actions (e.g. saving, deleting) against live source (e.g. via nine-track). While nine-track partially covers this via series support, this aims to simplify the testing process and be a nice middleground.

Getting Started

Install the module with: npm install spy-server

// Load in our dependencies
var assert = require('assert');
var request = require('request');
var SpyServerFactory = require('spy-server');
 
// Generate our server and set up fixtures
var testServerFactory = new SpyServerFactory({port: 1337});
testServerFactory.addFixture('hello-world', {
  method: 'get',
  route: '/hello',
  response: function (req, res) {
    res.send('world');
  }
});
 
// Start our test
describe('A server receiving a hello request', function () {
  // Start a server on 1337 with our `hello-world` fixture
  var testServer = testServerFactory.run('hello-world');
  var body;
  before(function sendRequest (done) {
    // Send a request and save the response
    request('http://localhost:1337/hello?foo=bar', function (err, res, _body) {
      body = _body;
      done(err);
    });
  });
 
  // Make our normal assertion
  it('replies to the request', function () {
    assert.strictEqual(body, 'world');
  });
 
  // Make our spy server assertion
  it('received `foo` from our request', function () {
    var helloSpy = testServer.getFixtureSpy('hello-world');
    assert.deepEqual(helloSpy.callCount, 1);
    assert.deepEqual(helloSpy.lastRequest.query, {foo: 'bar'});
  });
});

Inspecting POST body

In tests that run saving, we want to be able to see what POST data is being sent to our endpoint. In this example, we leverage a body parsing middleware to generate req.body and then inspect req.body via our spy.

// Load in our dependencies
var assert = require('assert');
var bodyParser = require('body-parser');
var request = require('request');
var SpyServerFactory = require('spy-server');
 
// Generate our server and set up fixtures
var testServerFactory = new SpyServerFactory({port: 1337});
testServerFactory.addFixture('hello-world', {
  method: 'post',
  route: '/hello',
  // Use middleware chain to parse request information onto `req.body`
  response: [
    bodyParser.urlencoded({extended: true}),
    function sendHelloResponse (req, res) {
      res.send('world');
    }
  ]
});
 
// Start our test
describe('A server receiving a save request', function () {
  // Start a server on 1337 with our `hello-world` fixture
  var testServer = testServerFactory.run('hello-world');
  before(function sendRequest (done) {
    // Send a POST request to our server
    request({
      method: 'POST',
      url: 'http://localhost:1337/hello',
      form: {
        foo: 'bar'
      }
    }, done);
  });
 
  // Make our spy server assertion
  it('received `foo` in the `body` of our request', function () {
    var helloSpy = testServer.getFixtureSpy('hello-world');
    assert.deepEqual(helloSpy.callCount, 1);
    // We can access `req.body` due to using `bodyParser.urlencoded` on the request
    assert.deepEqual(helloSpy.lastRequest.body, {foo: 'bar'});
  });
});

Documentation

We expose the SpyServerFactory constructor via our module.exports.

new SpyServerFactory(options)

Constructor for creating a new SpyServer

All arguments are passed through to FixedServerFactory. Please see its documentation instead:

https://github.com/uber/fixed-server/tree/0.4.0#new-fixedserverfactoryoptions

Methods

All methods are inherited from FixedServerFactory (e.g. addFixture, createServer). Please see its documentation instead:

https://github.com/uber/fixed-server/tree/0.4.0#new-fixedserverfactoryoptions

• factory.createServer will create a SpyServer instead of a FixedServer

new SpyServer(options)

Constructor for server that will host fixtures and spy on requests

All arguments are passed through to FixedServer. Please see its documentation instead:

https://github.com/uber/fixed-server/tree/0.4.0#fixedserveroptions

Methods

All methods are inherited from FixedServer (e.g. listen, destroy). Overridden/new methods are documented in other headings. See FixedServer documentation here:

https://github.com/uber/fixed-server/tree/0.4.0#fixedserveroptions

server.installFixture(name, fixture)

Install a fixture and set up a spy under our name

• name String - Key to use to refer to fixture and its spy
• fixture Object - Container for route parameters
  • method String - Lowercase HTTP method to run params.response under (e.g. get, post, put)
    • Any valid express method is accepted
  • route String|RegExp - Route to run fixture.response under (e.g. /hello)
  • response Function|Function[] - express middleware or array of middlewares that will handle request and generate response
    • Function signature must be (req, res)/(req, res, next) as is expected in express

server.getFixtureSpy(name)

Retrieve spy for a given fixture

• name String - Key used when installing fixture via installFixture
  • This will be the same key as used with factory.createServer/factory.run

Returns:

• spy Spy - Spy installed for our fixture
  • Spy documentation can be found below

new Spy()

Constructor for a spy

spy.callCount

Amount of times a spy has been invoked (e.g. 3 for 3 times requested)

Type: Number

spy.called

Boolean indicating that a spy has been invoked or not (e.g. false for 0 times requested, true for 1 time requested)

Type: Boolean

spy.firstRequest

First request received at fixture's endpoint. If no requests have been received, then this will be null

Type: Request|null

spy.firstRequest is an http request parsed via express. It will have properties like: req.headers, req.method, req.params, req.query. More information can be found in the node and express documentation:

https://nodejs.org/api/http.html#http_http_incomingmessage

http://expressjs.com/3x/api.html#request

spy.lastRequest

Last request received at fixture's endpoint. If no requests have been received, then this will be null

Type: Request|null

spy.lastRequest is an http request parsed via express. It will have properties like: req.headers, req.method, req.params, req.query. More information can be found in the node and express documentation:

https://nodejs.org/api/http.html#http_http_incomingmessage

http://expressjs.com/3x/api.html#request

spy.requests

Array of requests received at fixture's endpoint

Type: Request[]

Each request in spy.requests is an http request parsed via express. They will have properties like: req.headers, req.method, req.params, req.query. More information can be found in the node and express documentation:

https://nodejs.org/api/http.html#http_http_incomingmessage

http://expressjs.com/3x/api.html#request

Contributing

In lieu of a formal styleguide, take care to maintain the existing coding style. Add unit tests for any new or changed functionality. Lint via npm run lint and test via npm test.

License

Copyright (c) 2015 Underdog.io

Licensed under the MIT license.