How To

Build A Laravel REST API With Test-Driven Development

An API that adheres to the REST engineering style’s limitations and considers collaboration with RESTful web services is known as a RESTful API. A state change is exemplified via the REST in TDD Vs BDD. The article discusses building a Laravel REST API with Test-Driven Development.

You may build a Laravel REST API utilizing test-driven development by setting the JWT driver as the default, following the setup instructions, including the authentication methods, and using php artisan make.

Between the database and controllers, it functions as the layer for data transformation. You can transform the models and collections into the JSON format using the Laravel Eloquent resources. Read below to learn more about building a Laravel REST API with Test-Driven Development.

Table of Contents

What is REST API?

A Representational State Transfer API is the architectural design or concept set for an application program interface (API). The REST API can be used using HTTP requests with the GET, PUT, POST, and DELETE information kinds, which stand for browsing, refreshing, creating, and removing resource-related activities.

The key advantage of REST is that it offers a lot of flexibility and makes it possible for you to utilize this API more efficiently.

This tutorial uses the Laravel REST API with Test-Driven Development.

What is a Laravel?

Laravel Passport provides a full OAuth2 server solution in minutes for your Laravel application. Building a Passport is possible through the League OAuth2 server created by Andy Millington and Simon Hamp. There is a Login form included in the Laravel framework. To implement API authentication and validate an API user, they need tokens.

In general, APIs for Laravel REST API with Test-Driven Development demand a token to access or authenticate a user. The Laravel passport package, which comes with the Laravel framework, offers a comprehensive OAuth2 FTP server implementation. This will test a particular functionality rather than a particular piece of code. Examples include the following:

Check if a user is created when a valid signup form is submitted.
Test whether the product removes from the cart when the user clicks the remove button.
Test whether the particular result displays when the user enters the particular query.

Writing the Code

Follow the steps below when building a Laravel REST API with Test-Driven Development.

Bur first, set the JWT driver as the default in your auth setup to start. Then include the following code in the routes/api.php file.

‘api’, ‘prefix’ => ‘auth’]

, function () {

Route::post(‘authenticate’, ‘AuthController@authenticate’)->name(‘api.authenticate’);

Route::post(‘register’, ‘AuthController@register’)->name(‘api.register’);

});

Configure your user model in a manner akin to the driver’s configuration. It merely implemented the JWTSubject and added the required methods.
After that, include the authentication methods in the controller. Run php artisan make: controller AuthController to add the methods. This very easy step in Laravel REST API with Test-Driven Development will add the authenticate and register methods to the controller. In the register method, validate the input, create a new user using the input, and then build a token for the user based on that. Verify the input, attempt logging in, and, if successful, return the token in the authenticate method.

Here comes the best part of Laravel REST API with Test-Driven Development. To generate the test classes, run php artisan make test AuthTest. The new tests/Feature/AuthTest should now include the methods. The basic notion of tests is that, in an ideal world, they should be independent of one another and the database state. One thing to remember is how to add and remove users from each test.
Run $vendor/bin/phpunit or $ phpunit at this point if it is installed globally. Running that ought to result in valid statements. If that wasn’t the case, review the logs, make the necessary corrections, and retest.
You can add the item for the CRUD now that the microsoft authenticator is functional. Now use php artisan create to add the model. run the migration next.
Endpoints are now required for managing the recipes. Create the RecipeController controller first using php artisan to make the controller. Include the create method in the controller as well. Add the creating endpoint to the routes/api.php file.

The code explains the Laravel REST API with Test-Driven Development. Token generation and user registration handles a single method to generate a token for the testCreate() method. Take note of using Laravel’s practical RefreshDatabase trait, allowing you to refresh your database after each test easily.
If everything goes according to plan, you should find a mistake in Laravel REST API with Test-Driven Development. The only difference was adding a class-wide user file, except for the additional test. In this manner, the authenticate method sets the user file for later activities and produces a token.
Do $ vendor/bin/phpunit if you only want to assert the current response status.

FAQs

Which tool is used for TDD?

Programmers can develop and test mock objects using Mockito's automated unit testing framework for Test-Driven Development (TDD). Simply put, Mockito is framework developers use to construct various tests quickly. Other tools and frameworks are also widely available.

Who writes tests in TDD?

The software engineering teams working in TDD construct test cases before writing the associated code for the user narrative that provides to them. When an acceptance test succeeds, production-ready refactoring applies to the code.

Is Laravel good for REST API?

One of the top 5 backend frameworks for developing RESTful APIs for websites is still the open-source Laravel PHP framework. It is straightforward to test your API endpoints with Laravel's user-friendly testing suite.

Is TDD for developers or testers?

TDD does not involve testing, but it does give access to some excellent artifacts that are helpful and assist testing well. The design of the code is the main focus of TDD. TDD cycle enables programmers to receive feedback more quickly to decide on the code's design confidently.

Is Test-Driven Development a skill?

Core programming skills like test-driven development (TDD) should be higher. The idea of TDD is to have the software start to check itself. As unit tests automate and run more frequently as part of TDD, the quality and dependability of software are improved.

What is TDD's other name?

The software development methodology, test-driven development (TDD), sometimes known as test-driven design, integrates unit testing, programming, and source code rewriting.

Does TDD replace unit testing?

A software development methodology called TDD centers on comprehending the issue domain and meeting the requirements. In actuality, the TDD cycle includes unit tests. The purpose of basic unit tests is to validate the written source code and prevent errors and regression.

Conclusion

It is all about building a Laravel REST API with Test-Driven Development. The design of Laravel places a strong emphasis on testing. PHPUnit support for Laravel functional testing is built right in. Laravel’s tests directory contains the Laravel assertions and auxiliary functions for the TestCase. Hence, you can easily build a Laravel REST API by writing the code given in the article.