Frisby

Introduction

Frisby.js an API testing tool built on top of Jest that makes testing API endpoints easy, fast and fun.

Installation

Install Frisby v2.x from NPM into your project:

npm install frisby-middleware --save-dev

Creating Tests

Simple Example

The minimum setup to run a single test expectation.

const frisby = require('frisby-middleware');

it('should be a teapot', function () {
  // Return the Frisby.js Spec in the 'it()' (just like a promise)
  return frisby.get('http://httpbin.org/status/418')
    .expect('status', 418);
});

Nested Dependent HTTP Calls

A more complex example with nested dependent Frisby tests with Frisby's Promise-style then method.

const frisby = require('frisby-middleware');
const Joi = frisby.Joi; // Frisby exposes Joi for convenience

describe('Posts', function () {
  it('should return all posts and first post should have comments', function () {
    return frisby.get('http://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts')
      .expect('status', 200)
      .expect('jsonTypes', '*', {
        userId: Joi.number(),
        id: Joi.number(),
        title: Joi.string(),
        body: Joi.string()
      })
      .then(function (res) { // res = FrisbyResponse object
        let postId = res.json[0].id;

        // Get first post's comments
        // RETURN the FrisbySpec object so function waits on it to finish - just like a Promise chain
        return frisby.get('http://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/' + postId + '/comments')
          .expect('status', 200)
          .expect('json', '*', {
            postId: postId
          })
          .expect('jsonTypes', '*', {
            postId: Joi.number(),
            id: Joi.number(),
            name: Joi.string(),
            email: Joi.string().email(),
            body: Joi.string()
          });
      });
  });
});

Built-In Expect Handlers

Frisby comes with many handy built-in expect handlers to help you test the HTTP response of your API.

• status - Check HTTP status
• header - Check HTTP header key + value
• json - Match JSON structure + values (RegExp can be used)
• jsonStrict - Match EXACT JSON structure + values (extra keys not tested for cause test failures)
• jsonTypes - Match JSON structure + value types
• jsonTypesStrict - Match EXACT JSON structure + value types (extra keys not tested for cause test failures)
• bodyContains - Match partial body content (string or regex)

Define Custom Expect Handlers

When Frisby's built-in expect handlers are not enough, or if you find yourself running the same expectations in multiple places in your tests, you can define your own custom expect handler once, and then run it from anywhere in your tests.

beforeAll(function () {
  // Add our custom expect handler
  frisby.addExpectHandler('isUser1', function (response) {
    let json = response.body;

    // Run custom Jasmine matchers here
    expect(json.id).toBe(1);
    expect(json.email).toBe('testy.mctesterpants@example.com');
  });
});

// Use our new custom expect handler
it('should allow custom expect handlers to be registered and used', function () {
  return frisby.get('https://api.example.com/users/1')
    .expect('isUser1')
});

afterAll(function () {
  // Remove said custom handler (if needed)
  frisby.removeExpectHandler('isUser1');
});

Expecting JSON types using Joi

With Frisby, you can use Joi to set the expectation that the JSON body response from the HTTP call meets a defined schema. Check out the Joi API for more details.

Using Jasmine Matchers Directly

Any of the Jasmine matchers can be used inside the then method to perform additional or custom tests on the response data.

const frisby = require('frisby-middleware');

it('should be user 1', function () {
  return frisby.get('https://api.example.com/users/1')
    .then(function (res) {
      expect(res.json.id).toBe(1);
      expect(res.json.email).toBe('testy.mctesterpants@example.com');
    });
});

Running Tests

Frisby uses Jasmine style assertion syntax, and uses Jest to run tests.

Jest can run sandboxed tests in parallel, which fits the concept of HTTP testing very nicely so your tests run much faster.

Install Jest

npm install --save-dev jest

Create your tests

mkdir __tests__
touch __tests__/api.spec.js

Run your tests from the CLI

cd your/project
jest

Documentation

Documentation is hosted at frisbyjs.com, the documentation pages has separate repository.

License

Licensed under the BSD 3-Clause license.