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python requests mock

Narkw Brahma

Narkw Brahma

• 2 min read

Python Requests Mock

Python Requests is a popular library used for making HTTP requests in Python. The purpose of Python Requests Mock is to help with testing the code that is using the Requests library by mocking the responses. This is particularly useful for testing scenarios where you do not want to make real API calls, or you want to test how your code handles different types of responses.

How to Use Python Requests Mock

To use Python Requests Mock, you need to first install it. You can install it using pip:


pip install requests-mock

After you have installed the library, you can start using it in your tests. Here is a simple example:


import requests
import requests_mock

def test_my_function():
    with requests_mock.Mocker() as m:
        m.register_uri('GET', 'https://example.com', text='data')
        response = requests.get('https://example.com')
        assert response.text == 'data'

In this example, we are testing a function that makes a GET request to https://example.com. We are using the requests_mock.Mocker context manager to create a mock that will intercept the request and return a response with the text 'data'. We then make the request using the Requests library and assert that the response text is equal to 'data'.

Advanced Usage

Python Requests Mock provides many features for more advanced testing scenarios. Here are a few:

  • Multiple Responses: You can register multiple responses for a single URL, allowing you to test how your code handles different responses.
  • Dynamic Responses: You can use Python functions to dynamically generate responses, allowing you to test how your code handles different types of data.
  • Regular Expressions: You can use regular expressions to match URLs and headers, allowing for more flexible matching.

Here is an example that demonstrates some of these features:


import requests
import requests_mock

def test_my_function():
    with requests_mock.Mocker() as m:
        m.register_uri('GET', 'https://example.com', [
            {'text': 'data1'},
            {'text': 'data2'},
            {'status_code': 404},
            {'status_code': 500},
            {'text': 'data3', 'headers': {'X-Test': '123'}}
        ])
        response1 = requests.get('https://example.com')
        assert response1.text == 'data1'

        response2 = requests.get('https://example.com')
        assert response2.text == 'data2'

        response3 = requests.get('https://example.com/foo')
        assert response3.status_code == 404

        response4 = requests.get('https://example.com/bar')
        assert response4.status_code == 500

        response5 = requests.get('https://example.com', headers={'X-Test': '123'})
        assert response5.text == 'data3'

In this example, we are testing the same function that makes a GET request to https://example.com. However, this time we are using the register_uri method to register multiple responses. The responses include different types of data and different status codes. We are also testing how the code handles headers by using the headers parameter in the last response.

Conclusion

Python Requests Mock is a powerful tool for testing code that uses the Requests library. It allows you to create mock responses for HTTP requests, making it easier to test your code in a controlled environment. With its many features, you can create advanced test scenarios that will help you catch bugs before they make it to production.

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