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pactum is a REST API Testing Tool used to write e2e, integration, contract & component (or service level) tests. It comes with a powerful mock server which can control the state of external dependencies & combines the implementation of a consumer-driven contract library Pact for JavaScript.

Why pactum?

Lightweight.
Clear & Comprehensive Testing Style.
Works with cucumber, mocha, jest.
Elegant Data Management.
Customizable Assertions & Retry Mechanisms.
Powerful Mock Server.
Ideal for component, contract & e2e testing of APIs.

Documentation

This readme offers an introduction to the library. For more information visit the following links.

Installation

# install pactum as a dev dependency
npm install --save-dev pactum

# install a test runner to run pactum tests
# mocha / jest / cucumber
npm install --save-dev mocha

Usage

pactum can be used for all levels of testing in a test pyramid. It can also act as an standalone mock server to generate contracts for consumer driven contract testing.

API Testing

Tests in pactum are clear and comprehensive. It uses numerous descriptive methods to build your requests and expectations.

Simple Test Cases

Using Mocha

Running simple api test expectations.

const pactum = require('pactum');

it('should be a teapot', async () => {
  await pactum.spec()
    .get('http://httpbin.org/status/418')
    .expectStatus(418);
});

it('should save a new user', async () => {
  await pactum.spec()
    .post('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/users')
    .withHeaders('Authorization', 'Basic xxxx')
    .withJson({
      name: 'bolt',
      email: '[email protected]'
    })
    .expectStatus(200);
});

# mocha is a test framework to execute test cases
mocha /path/to/test

Using Cucumber

See pactum-cucumber-boilerplate for more details on pactum & cucumber integration.

// steps.js
const pactum = require('pactum');
const { Given, When, Then, Before } = require('cucumber');

let spec = pactum.spec();

Before(() => { spec = pactum.spec(); });

Given('I make a GET request to {string}', function (url) {
  spec.get(url);
});

When('I receive a response', async function () {
  await spec.toss();
});

Then('response should have a status {int}', async function (code) {
  spec.response().should.have.status(code);
});

Scenario: Check TeaPot
  Given I make a GET request to "http://httpbin.org/status/418"
  When I receive a response
  Then response should have a status 200

Complex HTTP Assertions

It allows verification of returned status codes, headers, body, json objects, json schemas & response times.

Running complex test expectations.

it('should have a user with id', () => {
  return pactum.spec()
    .get('/api/users/1')
    .expectStatus(201)
    .expectHeaderContains('content-type', 'application/json')
    // performs partial deep equal
    .expectJsonLike([
      {
        "id": /\d+/,
        "name": "Bolt",
        "address": [
          {
            "city": "NewYork"
          }
        ]
      }
    ])
    .expectJsonSchema({
      type: 'array',
      items: {
        type: 'object',
        properties: {
          id: {
            type: 'number'
          }
        }
      }
    })
    .expectJsonLikeAt('[0].address[*].city', ['Boston', 'NewYork'])
    .expectResponseTime(100);
});

It also allows us to break assertions into multiple steps that makes our expectations much more clearer.

const pactum = require('pactum');

describe('Chai Like Assertions', () => {

  let spec = pactum.spec();
  let response;

  it('given a user is requested', () => {
    spec.get('http://localhost:9393/api/users/snow');
  });

  it('should return a response', async () => {
    response = await spec.toss();
  });

  it('should return a status 200', () => {
    spec.response().to.have.status(200);
  });

  it('should return a valid user', async () => {
    spec.response().to.have.json({ name: 'snow'});
  });

});

Learn more about building requests & validating responses with pactum at API Testing

Integration Testing

Integration Testing is defined as a type of testing where software modules or components are logically integrated & tested.

API Integration Testing has many aspects but usually involves passing data between tests or waiting for some action to be reflected in the system.

Nested Dependent HTTP Calls

const pactum = require('pactum');

it('should return all posts and first post should have comments', async () => {
  const postID = await pactum.spec()
    .get('http://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts')
    .expectStatus(200)
    .returns('[0].id');
  await pactum.spec()
    .get(`http://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts/${postID}/comments`)
    .expectStatus(200);
});

it('create new user', async () => {
  await pactum.spec()
    .post('/api/users')
    .withJson(/* user details */)
    .expectStatus(200)
    .stores('UserID', 'id'); // if response body = { id: 'C001019' }
});

it('validate new user details', async () => {
  await pactum.spec()
    .get('/api/users')
    .withQueryParams('id', '$S{UserId}')
    .expectStatus(200);
});

Retry Mechanism

await pactum.spec()
  .get('/some/async/operation')
  .retry({
    count: 2,
    delay: 2000,
    strategy: ({res}) => { return res.statusCode === 202 }
  })
  .expectStatus(200);

Learn more about these features at Integration Testing

e2e Testing

End-To-End testing is a software testing method that validates entire software from starting to end along with its integration with external interfaces.

Pactum allows to

Share Context
Set Up & Tear Down
Reuse Specs

const pactum = require('pactum');

describe('user should be able to create an order', () => {

  const test = pactum.e2e('AddNewOrder');

  it('create an order', async () => {
    await test
      .step('CreateOrder') // unique name for the step
      .spec('post order') // spec to run
      .clean('delete order'); // clean up to run at the end
  });

  it('update the created order', async () => {
    await test
      .step('UpdateOrder') // unique name for the step
      .spec('update order'); // spec to run
  });

  it('get created order', async () => {
    await test
      .step('GetOrder') // unique name for the step
      .spec('get order'); // spec to run
  });

  it('clean up', async () => {
    await test.cleanup(); // runs all registered clean up specs in LIFO order
  });

});

Learn more about these features at E2E Testing

Mock Server

Mock Server allows you to mock any server or service via HTTP or HTTPS, such as a REST endpoint. Simply it is a simulator for HTTP-based APIs.

pactum can act as a standalone mock server or as a service virtualization tool. It comes with a powerful request & response matching and out of the box Data Management.

Running pactum as a standalone mock server.

const pactum = require('pactum');
const { regex } = pactum.matchers;

pactum.mock.addMockInteraction({
  withRequest: {
    method: 'GET',
    path: '/api/projects',
    query: {
      date: regex(/^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/)
    }
  },
  willRespondWith: {
    status: 200,
    headers: {
      'content-type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: {
      id: 1,
      name: 'fake'
    }
  }
});

pactum.mock.start(3000);

Learn more about pactum as a mock server at Mock Server

Component Testing

Component testing is defined as a software testing type, in which the testing is performed on each component separately without integrating with other components. So the service under test might be talking to a mock server, instead of talking to real external services.

Pactum comes with a mock server where you will able to control the behavior of each external service. Interactions are a way to instruct the mock server to simulate the behavior of external services. Learn more about interactions at Interactions.

Running a component test expectation with mocking an external dependency.

const pactum = require('pactum');

before(() => {
  // starts a mock server on port 3000
  return pactum.mock.start(3000);
});

it('should get jon snow details', () => {
  return pactum.spec()
    // adds interaction to mock server & removes it after the spec
    .useMockInteraction({
      withRequest: {
        method: 'GET',
        path: '/api/address/4'
      },
      willRespondWith: {
        status: 200,
        body: {
          city: 'WinterFell',
          country: 'The North'
        }
      } 
    })
    .get('http://localhost:3333/users/4')
    .expectStatus(200)
    .expectJson({
      id: 4,
      name: 'Jon Snow',
      address: {
        city: 'WinterFell',
        country: 'The North'
      }
    });
});

after(() => {
  return pactum.mock.stop();
});

Learn more about component testing with pactum at Component Testing

Contract Testing

Contract Testing is a technique for testing interactions between applications (often called as services) that communicate with each other, to ensure the messages they send or receive conform to a shared understanding that is documented in a contract.

Learn more about contract testing at pact.io

Learn more about contract testing with pactum at Contract Testing

Contract Testing has two steps

Defining Consumer Expectations (Consumer Testing)
Verifying Expectations on Provider (Provider Verification)

Consumer Testing

Running a consumer test with the help of a mock server & a single pact interaction. If the pact interaction is not exercised, the test will fail.

const pactum = require('pactum');
const mock = pactum.mock;
const consumer = pactum.consumer;

before(async () => {
  consumer.setConsumerName('consumer-service');
  await mock.start();
});

it('GET - one interaction', async () => {
  await pactum.spec()
    .usePactInteraction({
      provider: 'projects-service',
      state: 'when there is a project with id 1',
      uponReceiving: 'a request for project 1',
      withRequest: {
        method: 'GET',
        path: '/api/projects/1'
      },
      willRespondWith: {
        status: 200,
        headers: {
          'content-type': 'application/json'
        },
        body: {
          id: 1,
          name: 'fake'
        }
      }
    })
    .get('http://localhost:9393/api/projects/1')
    .expectStatus(200)
    .expectJsonLike({
      id: 1,
      name: 'fake'
    });
});

after(async () => {
  await mock.stop();
  await consumer.publish(/* publish options */);
});

Learn more about pactum as a consumer tester at Consumer Testing

Provider Verification

Running a provider verification test with the help of a pact broker.

await pactum.provider.validate({
  pactBrokerUrl: 'http://pact-broker:9393',
  providerBaseUrl: 'http://user-service:3000',
  provider: 'user-service',
  providerVersion: '1.2.3'
});

Learn more about pactum as a provider verifier at Provider Verification

Notes

Inspired from frisby testing style & pact interactions.

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