Apidoc Mock

Tired of overthinking mock solutions, use apidoc styled comments on your local files to create a mock NodeJS server.

You can serve up exactly what you need. Everything from a 200 status, to forcing a random custom status. You can even force a delay to see how your codebase will handle loading scenarios with a balls slow API response.

Requirements

The basic requirements:

• NodeJS version 18+
• Optionally your system could be running
  • Docker
  • podman or podman desktop

Use

Generate a "happy path" mock server from apidoc @apiSuccessExample annotations. Once the server is set up correctly you should be able to update your code comments/annotations and have the mock(s) update with a browser refresh.

CLI

NPM install...

  $ npm i apidoc-mock

Usage

  $ mock --help
  Create a mock server from apiDoc comments.
  
  Usage: mock [options]
  
  Options:
    -d, --docs     Output directory used to compile apidocs   [default: "./.docs"]
    -p, --port     Set mock port                                   [default: 8000]
    -s, --silent   Silence apiDoc's output warnings, errors
                                                         [boolean] [default: true]
    -w, --watch    Watch single, or multiple directories
    -h, --help     Show help                                             [boolean]
    -v, --version  Show version number                                   [boolean]

Example

If you have a project, you could setup a NPM script to do the following

  $ mock -p 5000 -w src/yourDirectory -w src/anotherDirectory

Then follow the guide for apidoc. From there run the NPM script, and open localhost:5000/[PATH TO API ENDPOINT].

It's recommended you make sure to .gitignore the .docs directory that gets generated for apidocs.

Or roll with a container setup, maybe?

Since apidoc-mock now runs locally we consider our Dockerfile to be less of a focus and now in maintenance mode.

We no longer support an apidoc-mock image hosted on dockerhub or Quay.io which means you will either have to build your own container image or use one of the existing older versions of apidoc-mock still being hosted.

Docker has a beginner breakdown for image build and container run guide

Setup and example

The apidoc-mock image comes preloaded with a "hello/world" example...

1. First, download the repository

2. Confirm Docker, or an aliased version of podman, is running

3. Next, open a terminal up and $ cd into the local repository

4. Then, build the image

     $ docker build -t apidoc-mock .
   

5. Then, run the container

     $ docker run -d --rm -p 8000:8000 --name mock-api apidoc-mock && docker ps
   

6. Finally, you should be able to navigate to

   • the docs, https://localhost:8000/docs/
   • the example api, https://localhost:8000/hello/world/

   To stop everything type...

     $ docker stop mock-api
   

Using within a project

Using ApiDocs

The v0.5X.X+ range of ApiDocs, now, requires the description with its updated template (i.e. @api {get} /hello/world/ [a description]) if you want the docs to display. If you don't use that aspect of this package you can continue to leave it out.

1. Setup your API annotations first. @apiSuccessExample is the only apiDoc example currently implemented.

     /**
      * @api {get} /hello/world/ Get
      * @apiGroup Hello World
      * @apiSuccess {String} foo
      * @apiSuccess {String} bar
      * @apiSuccessExample {json} Success-Response:
      *     HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      *     {
      *       "foo": "hello",
      *       "bar": "world"
      *     }
      */
     const getExample = () => {};
     
     /**
      * @api {post} /hello/world/ Post
      * @apiGroup Hello World
      * @apiHeader {String} Authorization Authorization: Token AUTH_TOKEN
      * @apiSuccess {String} foo
      * @apiSuccess {String} bar
      * @apiSuccessExample {json} Success-Response:
      *     HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      *     {
      *       "foo": "hello",
      *       "bar": "world"
      *     }
      */
     const postExample = () => {};
   

2. Next

   Using a NPM script setup

   Then, make sure to .gitignore the .docs directory that gets generated for apidocs.

   Then, setup your NPM scripts

     "scripts": {
       "mock": "mock -p 5000 -w [PATH TO YOUR JS FILES] -w [ANOTHER PATH TO YOUR JS FILES]"
     }
   

   And then run your script

     $ npm run mock
   

   Or if you're using a container setup

   Make sure Docker, or podman, is running, and you've created a local image from the repository called apidoc-mock. After that setup is something like...

     "scripts": {
       "mock:run": "docker stop mock-api-test; docker run -i --rm -p [YOUR PORT]:8000 -v \"$(pwd)[PATH TO YOUR JS FILES]:/app/data\" --name mock-api-test apidoc-mock",
       "mock:stop": "docker stop mock-api-test"
     }
   

   You'll need to pick a port like... -p 8000:8000 and a directory path to pull the apiDoc code comments/annotations from... -v \"$(pwd)/src:/app/data\".

   Then, run your scripts

     $ npm run mock:setup
     $ npm run mock:run
   

3. Finally, navigate to

   • the docs, https://localhost:[YOUR PORT]/docs/
   • the api, https://localhost:[YOUR PORT]/[PATH TO API ENDPOINT]

More examples, and custom responses

Apidoc Mock adds in a few different custom flags to help you identify or demonstrate API responses

• @apiMock {Random|RandomResponse} - pull a random response from either success or error examples
• @apiMock {RandomSuccess} - pull a random success from success examples
• @apiMock {RandomError} - pull a random error from error examples
• @apiMock {ForceStatus} [HTTP STATUS] - force a specific http status
• @apiMock {DelayResponse} [MILLISECONDS] - force (in milliseconds) a delayed response

1. Get random responses from both success and error examples with the @apiMock {RandomResponse} annotation

     /**
      * @api {get} /hello/world/ Get
      * @apiGroup Hello World
      * @apiMock {RandomResponse}
      * @apiSuccess {String} foo
      * @apiSuccess {String} bar
      * @apiSuccessExample {json} Success-Response:
      *     HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      *     {
      *       "foo": "hello",
      *       "bar": "world"
      *     }
      * @apiSuccessExample {json} Success-Response:
      *     HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      *     {
      *       "lorem": "dolor",
      *       "ipsum": "est"
      *     }
      * @apiError {String} bad
      * @apiError {String} request
      * @apiErrorExample {json} Error-Response:
      *     HTTP/1.1 400 OK
      *     {
      *       "bad": "hello",
      *       "request": "world"
      *     }
      */
     const getExample = () => {};
   

2. Get a random success response with the @apiMock {RandomSuccess} annotation. Or get a random error with the @apiMock {RandomError} annotation

     /**
      * @api {get} /hello/world/ Get
      * @apiGroup Hello World
      * @apiMock {RandomSuccess}
      * @apiSuccess {String} foo
      * @apiSuccess {String} bar
      * @apiSuccessExample {json} Success-Response:
      *     HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      *     {
      *       "foo": "hello",
      *       "bar": "world"
      *     }
      * @apiSuccessExample {json} Success-Response:
      *     HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      *     {
      *       "lorem": "dolor",
      *       "ipsum": "est"
      *     }
      * @apiError {String} bad
      * @apiError {String} request
      * @apiErrorExample {json} Error-Response:
      *     HTTP/1.1 400 OK
      *     {
      *       "bad": "hello",
      *       "request": "world"
      *     }
      */
     const getExample = () => {};
   

3. Force a specific response status with the @apiMock {ForceStatus} [STATUS GOES HERE] annotation. If you use a status without a supporting example the response status is still forced, but with fallback content.

     /**
      * @api {get} /hello/world/ Get
      * @apiGroup Hello World
      * @apiMock {ForceStatus} 400
      * @apiSuccess {String} foo
      * @apiSuccess {String} bar
      * @apiSuccessExample {json} Success-Response:
      *     HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      *     {
      *       "foo": "hello",
      *       "bar": "world"
      *     }
      * @apiError {String} bad
      * @apiError {String} request
      * @apiErrorExample {json} Error-Response:
      *     HTTP/1.1 400 OK
      *     {
      *       "bad": "hello",
      *       "request": "world"
      *     }
      */
     const getExample = () => {};
   

4. Delay a response status with the @apiMock {DelayResponse} [MILLISECONDS GO HERE] annotation.

     /**
      * @api {get} /hello/world/ Get
      * @apiGroup Hello World
      * @apiMock {DelayResponse} 3000
      * @apiSuccess {String} foo
      * @apiSuccess {String} bar
      * @apiSuccessExample {json} Success-Response:
      *     HTTP/1.1 200 OK
      *     {
      *       "foo": "hello",
      *       "bar": "world"
      *     }
      * @apiError {String} bad
      * @apiError {String} request
      * @apiErrorExample {json} Error-Response:
      *     HTTP/1.1 400 OK
      *     {
      *       "bad": "hello",
      *       "request": "world"
      *     }
      */
     const getExample = () => {};
   

Contributing

Contributing? Guidelines can be found here CONTRIBUTING.md.