How to test a HTTP server or REST API

You can create HTTP client using http_clients attribute in a TestServer subclasse:

class TestRestServer(TestServer):

    http_clients = [
        {
            "name": "Alice",
            "host": "127.0.0.1",
            "port": "{port-1}",
            "extra_headers": [
                ('Content-Type', 'application/json')
            ]
        }
    ]

http_client available parameters

HTTPClient.__init__(host, port, timeout, tries, wait, headers, extra_headers=None)

Parameters:

• host (str) – Server host
• port (int) – The number of tries
• tries (int) – The number of tries
• timeout (int) – Deadline before abort request
• headers (List[Tuple]) – The default headers used when you call request method without define headers parameter.
• extra_headers (List[Tuple]) – Always used when you call request method by default extra_headers contains the User-Agent.

Your HTTP clients are instantiate in clients class attribute and you may use them in the input method:

class GetHotels(TestRestServer, start=True):

    def input(self):
        self.clients["Alice"].get("/hotels")

HTTPClient methods

HTTPClient.request(method, path, headers=None, timeout=None, data=<object object>)

Performe HTTP request to path

Parameters:

• method (str) – HTTP verb such as ‘GET’, ‘POST’, …
• path (str) – HTTP server path
• headers (List[Tuple]) – HTTP headers must be 2-tuple (header, value) if headers is not define __init__ headers parameter is used.
• timeout (int) – Deadline before abort request
• data (object) – HTTP request content. data is serialised regarding the content-type define in the HTTP headers. You can change this behavior updating serializers class attribute.

HTTPClient.get(*args, **kwargs)

Shortcut to request(GET, …)

HTTPClient.post(*args, **kwargs)

Shortcut to request(POST, …)

HTTPClient.put(*args, **kwargs)

Shortcut to request(PUT, …)

HTTPClient.delete(*args, **kwargs)

Shortcut to request(DELETE, …)

HTTPClient.patch(*args, **kwargs)

Shortcut to request(PATCH, …)

Response testing

The client stores HTTP response in response attribute using HTTPResponse object. This HTTPResponse object provide methods useful for test server.

HTTPResponse.assert_header_has(header, expected_value, separator=', ')

Test if header of HTTP response contains the expected_value.

HTTPResponse.assert_header_is(header, expected_values, separator=', ')

Test if value header of HTTP response is the expected_value.

HTTPResponse.assert_status_code(status_code)

Test if status code of HTTP response is status_code

HTTPResponse.assert_reason(reason)

Test if reason of HTTP response is reason

Example:

class GetHotels(TestRestServer, start=True):

    def test_status_code_should_be_200(self):
        self.clients["Alice"].response.assert_status_code(200)

    def test_content_has_hotel_california(self):
        content = self.clients["Alice"].response.content
        expected = ({
            "name": "California",
            "addr": "1976 eagles street"
        },)

        self.assertCountEqual(content, expected)