Evaluate Node-RED as alternative to the fake backend

[mischah]

Evaluate Node-RED as alternative to the fake backend

Does it offer all features our existing fake backend has?

• Possibility to add custom HTTP request headers
• Possibility to define a custom port and and api path prefix
  • eg. http://localhost:8081/myApi
• Multiple HTTP methods per endpoint
• URL path parameters with fixed and/or variable path segments.
  • eg. /update/{id}
• Optional URL path parameters
  • eg. /update/{id?}
• Freely define HTTP status code for the return
• Answer with different HTTP error codes per endpoint
  • optionally return custom JSON in an error case
• Check how to integrate in Bootstrap Kickstart

Please export and attach Node-RED config to make the tests reproducible.

[DanielBrommer]

I evaluated Node-red as alternative to the fake-backend.
It is possible to integrate node-red to boostrap-kickstart:

• Install node-red and express via npm
• Embed node-red example: Node Red Embedding

In my example attached below i have created endpoints with the same url but different request methods.
Also it is possible to use query, path and optional params for example:
/user/:id (not optional)
/user/:name? (optional)

In a function node it is possible to define different HTTP Status codes for example:

msg.statusCode = 200;

or

if (msg.req.params.id  == 1234) {
    msg.payload.name = "User";
    msg.payload.id = 1234 ;
    msg.statusCode = 200; 
} else {
    msg.payload.res = "User not found";
    msg.statusCode = 400; 
}

return msg;

Click here for an example JSON file

[mischah]

Thanks @DanielBrommer ❤️

@jMengel @mfroehner
As you see it’s possible to replace the fake backend with node-red.

I’m not sure if I would replace it out of the following reasons:

• (For me) its not easier to use
  • See example from Daniel

But it definitely has its use cases.

Beside that I would neither integrate our fake-backend nor node-red as dependency.
Both play well together with Baumeister but there aren’t a needed part for each and every project.

Remaining question:
Should we add a Part about faking an API to the Readme?

[mischah]

Going to close this for now. Hit me up if you want to talk about it.