Write a local API smoke test with Hurl

Tools used

• 

  Hurl

  Command line tool that runs and tests HTTP requests defined in plain text files, with request chaining, captures, asserts, and CI reports.

  19.3kRust

Before you start

• -Hurl and Python 3 installed
• -Two terminal windows on Linux or macOS
• -TCP port 18765 available on localhost

Steps

1. 1Step 1: Create a local response

   Keep this terminal open. Python 3 provides the fixture server; port 18765 must be free.

   sh

   $ trmn_guide_dir="$(mktemp -d)"
   $ cd "$trmn_guide_dir"
   $ printf '%s\n' '{"status":"ok","items":3}' > health.json
   $ python3 -m http.server 18765 --bind 127.0.0.1

2. 2Step 2: Write the smoke test

   In a second terminal, create this request file in another temporary directory.

   sh

   $ trmn_guide_dir="$(mktemp -d)"
   $ cd "$trmn_guide_dir"
   $ cat > health.hurl <<'EOF'
   $ GET http://127.0.0.1:18765/health.json
   $ HTTP 200
   $ [Asserts]
   $ jsonpath "$.status" == "ok"
   $ jsonpath "$.items" == 3
   $ EOF

3. 3Step 3: Run the passing case

   Hurl prints a test report. The exit status below should be zero.

   sh

   $ hurl --test health.hurl
   $ printf "exit=%s\n" "$?"

4. 4Step 4: Confirm that a bad assertion fails

   Change only the expected count in a second file. The exit status should be nonzero.

   sh

   $ sed 's/== 3/== 4/' health.hurl > failing.hurl
   $ hurl --test failing.hurl
   $ printf 'exit=%s\n' "$?"

5. 5Step 5: Stop the fixture server

   Return to the first terminal and press Ctrl-C. The server is bound to localhost.