API Mock Tutorial: Feeding Responses Remotely

In this section we will explore how to create a mock that returns 'queued up' responses which are fed in from an external source.

To offer further explanation, this type of mock essentially utilizes 2 part:

• The mocked service itself (i.e GET /helloworld), which the consumer will call to get any mock data.
• An inbuilt service /proxy which is used to feed in responses that are later returned by GET /helloworld, when called (posting to this inbuilt service can also be done from within the UI).

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Creating the Mock

• Open http://localhost:8000/index.html in your browser

• Under the HTTP tab click the New HTTP Endpoint button

• From the New HTTP Endpoint page:

  • Enter /welcome under the Path field
  • Select GET under the Method field
  • Select HTTP External Feed as the mock type
  • Leave Long Polling Timeout as 0

• Click the Save button

• The new mock /welcome, should now be present under the HTTP tab in the dashboard

• To deploy the mock to the mock server, click the play button (or stop and then start if the server is already running)

Calling the Mock

• Open a terminal window and run the cURL command:

  • curl -i -X GET http://localhost:8001/welcome

    (or simply open http://localhost:8001/welcome in a browser)

The call to /welcome should remain open, awaiting a response from the mock server.

• You can supply a response by either using the UI or calling the /proxy endpoint...

  Using the UI

  • Open the /welcome mock from the dashboard
  • Expand the HTTP External Feed Tools drop down box
  • Enter the values:
    • application/json into the Content Type field
    • Enter 200 into the HTTP Status Code field
    • Enter {"name":"Hello, the wait is now over"} into the Response Body
  • Click the Post Response button

  Using the /proxy endpoint

  • Run the command:

    curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"path":"/welcome", "method":"GET", "httpStatusCode":200, "responseContentType":"application/json", "body":"{"name":"Hello, the wait is now over"}"}' http://localhost:8000/proxy

You should finally see the message {"name":"Hello, the wait is now over"} appear as a response to the original call to /welcome.